the magnificent miss murphy

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

I went to see Róisín Murphy last night (review in Grau tomorrow). She was WONDERFUL and her hats were FABULOUS. I know she's a long-time poptimist favourite but I don't think we've actually talked about her much, so shall we? Her album is one of the best of the year - my favourite is 'Tell Everybody', omg that was so good last night, she did it as the encore. And there are so many parallels with Gwen Stefani: platinum blonde MILF ex-frontwomen of 'alternative' acts who hit big late in their career, now embracing pop and offbeat couture for their solo careers.

Comments

Re: Listening to the album

[katstevens.livejournal.com]

The album is very inoffensive, isn't it? I guess she's going for coffee table types who do cocaine at dinner parties (odd drug reference here and there is sole claim to edgyness). However the production is very pleasing for the most part (varied, surprising changes in structure/tempo/banging-ness).

I really, really, really like Overpowered but I think this has grown out of being entranced by the video. Whilst Let Me Know has similar video style I agree that it's a really weak choice for 2nd single (definitely sub-Bextor).

BUT something I pinned down the other day is that the lyrical patterns (verse chorus etc) are VERY unsettling - they don't quite fit with the hi-tech dance music underneath. Nearly every song has a middle 8 that seems, well, out of place: eg a totally different melody after a big disco build-up where it really should have gone back into the chorus but BIGGER (or dropped out to a tiny whisper) - instead it's like they've shoved a leftover tune from another song into the slot as they weren't quite sure how to fill it.

I can't quite explain it properly as I don't have the album to hand, but compare to Sophie E-B: her 'pop' songs are definitely pop (slower, less of the bosh and more 'cosy' piano & harmonies) but her dance songs are actually DANCEABLE (eg all the bits of China Heart fit together very well yet still manage to build up from spooky beginnings to overblown mentalism by the end).

Arrgh I'm not quite sure what I'm getting at here.

Re: Listening to the album

[chezghost.livejournal.com]

'The album is very inoffensive, isn't it?'

couldn't you say this about SEB too? maybe this is a given and people expect Roisin to shock more i dunno.

i haven't noticed anything unusual or off about the lyrical patterns but will listen again. most if not all of the songs actually have conventional structure don't they? when i think of each one the first thing i get is the chorus which is usually big enough (Primitive, Footprints, the singles). and the danceable stuff on here seems perfectly danceable.

Re: Listening to the album

[katstevens.livejournal.com]

> most if not all of the songs actually have conventional structure don't they

That might be what I meant :) Overpowered really isn't though - it's much more of a floaty dance anthem that uses Roisin's voice as an instrument rather than the song merely being a vehicle for Roisin's voice.

And I don't think her voice is OMG AMAZING enough to pull that off - however it is definitely un-annoying (hi dere TashBed). Ha - Inoffensive! SEB's voice has much more character (a posh character maybe, but it's there); Roisin only occasionally dips into the 'Brrrraaargh' noise that she does (much more apparent in the Moloko stuff) which is how I'd normally recognise her.

Re: Listening to the album

[chezghost.livejournal.com]

but Overpowered is still verse/chorus/verse/chorus/middle8/chorus innit

Re: Listening to the album

[katstevens.livejournal.com]

Ah but it's the same chords/noises/synths on each bit! The only thing that changes is the vocal melody. That = techno/haus music structure to me. That's why I like it!

Plus the vocals on the verse are so trampled on by the awesome squelching that they might as well not be there...