Róisín Murphy | ||
| Allmusic Biography : During her time as the frontwoman of Moloko and throughout her solo career, Róisín Murphy made a name for herself as a purveyor of adventurous, omnivorous pop that blended influences as far-flung as disco and hot jazz. Born in Dublin, Murphy moved from Ireland to Manchester, England with her family when she was 12, and remained there even after her parents returned to Dublin four years later. On her own at 16, Murphy had no aspirations to sing until she met producer Mark Brydon, with whom she formed the eclectic electronic pop duo Moloko. The pairs stylish yet quirky sound scored them several hits, including "Sing It Back," "The Time Is Now," and "Fun for Me." By the time of Molokos fourth album, 2002s Statues, Murphy and Brydons personal and professional relationships were strained, and Moloko called it a day after completing the tour supporting that album. Murphy moved to London and began working with forward-thinking electronic producer Matthew Herbert, who had previously worked on a remix of "Sing It Back" with Moloko. He encouraged Murphy to bring typically non-musical items like notebooks into the studio and use them in musical ways; the results were first released as three limited-edition vinyl EPs, Sequins #1, Sequins #2, and Sequins #3. In 2005, Molokos label, Echo, released the EPs as the full-length album Ruby Blue. In spring 2006, Ruby Blue was released in the U.S. Overpowered, which featured productions by Bugz in the Attic and Groove Armada members and some of Murphys most pop-oriented songs to date, arrived in late 2007. During the late 2000s and early 2010s, she issued a string of singles, EPs, and collaborations, starting with 2009s garage-house single "Demon Lover" (which was released the same day Murphy announced she was pregnant with her first child). "Orally Fixated," another collaboration with Bugz in the Attics Seiji, arrived that November, and "Mommas Place" followed in January 2010. That year, she also made guest appearances on Crookers album Tons of Friends and David Byrne and Fatboy Slims collaboration Here Lies Love. In 2011, she worked with the Dutch DJ Mason, singer/actor Tony Christie, and the Feeling. She returned in 2012 with a trio of singles: the David Morales-produced "Golden Era" in May, the sleekly disco-tinged "Simulation" in August, and "Flash of Light," a collaboration with Luca C & Brigante, in October. Over the next two years, she worked with producers including Boris Dlugosch, Hot Natured, and Freeform, and also released the EP Mi Senti, a collection of Italian-language songs inspired by singers such as Mina. Late in 2014, "Invisions" -- another collaboration with Luca C & Brigante -- arrived. Early in 2015, the single "Gone Fishing" heralded the release of Murphys first full-length in eight years: Hairless Toys was a more personal set of songs drawing inspiration from sources including Paris Is Burning, the 1990 documentary of New York Citys ball culture and the African-American, Latino, gay, and transgender people who created it. The album was nominated for the Mercury Prize as well as Irelands Choice Music Prize. Murphy returned in 2016 with Take Her Up to Monto, which she recorded with Eddie Stevens during the Hairless Toys sessions. Shortly after the albums July release, Murphy staged a show at Londons famed Globe Theatre. | ||
 | Album: 1 of 11 Title: Sequins EP: One of Three Released: 2005-01-10 Tracks: 4 Duration: 00:00 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Ruby Blue (?) 2 Off on It (?) 3 Night of the Dancing Flame (?) 4 Through Time (?) |
 | Album: 2 of 11 Title: Sequins EP: Two of Three Released: 2005-02-14 Tracks: 4 Duration: 00:00 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Sow Into You (?) 2 Love in the Making (?) 3 Dear Diary (?) 4 Leaving the City (?) |
 | Album: 3 of 11 Title: Sequins EP: Three of Three Released: 2005-05-02 Tracks: 4 Duration: 00:00 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 If Were in Love (?) 2 Sinking Feeling (?) 3 Ramalama (Bang Bang) (?) 4 The Closing of the Doors (?) |
 | Album: 4 of 11 Title: Ruby Blue Released: 2005-06-13 Tracks: 12 Duration: 48:11 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Leaving the City (04:49) 2 Sinking Feeling (03:32) 3 Night of the Dancing Flame (03:26) 4 Through Time (05:58) 5 Sow Into You (03:56) 6 Dear Diary (05:50) 7 If We’re in Love (04:31) 8 Ramalama (Bang Bang) (03:35) 9 Ruby Blue (02:46) 10 Off on It (05:22) 11 Prelude to Love in the Making (00:53) 12 The Closing of the Doors (03:28) |
| Ruby Blue : Allmusic album Review : As brilliant as Moloko could be -- on both their most eccentric and most conventionally pop moments -- their albums never quite jelled into something as uniformly great as Roisin Murphys solo debut, Ruby Blue. By teaming up with producer Matthew Herbert, who remixed Molokos "Sing It Back" back in the I Am Not a Doctor days, Murphy keeps the alluring sensuality and unpredictable quirks that made Moloko unique, without sounding like shes rehashing where shes already been. Both Murphy and Herbert are artists who are equally at home with the wildest and most accessible sounds (and especially when they bring those extremes together), so their reunion on Ruby Blue feels very natural, and gives the album a smoother, more organic sound than might be expected from a debut. Herberts concept was to build the album around Murphy -- not just her gorgeous voice, but her life as well, and Ruby Blue reflects this with his skillful, witty use of environmental sounds throughout the album. Coughing, rustling, and other studio noise become a rhythm that in turn unfolds the gorgeously summery keyboards of "Through Time," while the more literal-minded "Dear Diary" surrounds Murphy with everyday noises like ringing telephones, buzzing doorbells, and what sounds like a ball bouncing on pavement. As quirky as the album might be -- and it doesnt get much quirkier than the spring-loaded, tribal rhythms of "Rama Lama" -- Ruby Blue never feels off-putting, because its flights of fancy are in service of the songs instead of distracting from them. The mix of 20s-style hot jazz and cool synths on the surreally sexy "Night of the Dancing Flame," the title tracks elegant mischief, and "Sow Into You"s crisp layers of vocals and brass are all mini-masterpieces of avant electronic pop. Indeed, the first two-thirds of Ruby Blue are almost too smooth, too perfectly realized to be the work of someone involved with a group as eccentric as Moloko was, so more experimental, unruly tracks like "Off on It" and "Prelude to Love in the Making" almost come as a relief (and act as a palate cleanser before Ruby Blues striking piano ballad finale, "Closing of Doors"). As Murphy herself sings on "Through Time," "Could there be such a thing as beautifully flawed?" Ruby Blue flirts with perfection and settles for being the perfect start to the next phase of Roisin Murphys career instead. | ||
 | Album: 5 of 11 Title: Overpowered Released: 2007-10-12 Tracks: 13 Duration: 59:46 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Overpowered (05:08) 2 You Know Me Better (04:17) 3 Checkin’ on Me (04:39) 4 Let Me Know (05:09) 5 Movie Star (04:01) 6 Primitive (04:50) 7 Footprints (03:37) 8 Dear Miami (03:40) 9 Cry Baby (05:54) 10 Tell Everybody (03:51) 11 Scarlet Ribbons (05:35) 12 Body Language (04:39) 13 Parallel Lives (04:21) |
| Overpowered : Allmusic album Review : Arty, cerebral, and sometimes downright kooky, Róisín Murphy zigs where other British pop singers zag. Shes been one of pops best-kept secrets since Moloko disbanded, edging her way toward a sound that isnt exactly mainstream but will give her the more widespread acclaim she deserves. For her first solo album, Ruby Blue, she collaborated with producer Matthew Herbert, who streamlined her sound into something creative but not gratingly quirky; even though "Rama Lama" ended up on So You Think You Can Dance, of all places, Ruby Blue wasnt quite a smash success. This time, Murphy teamed with Bugz in the Attics Seiji, Groove Armadas Andy Cato, All Seeing Is Parrott & Dean, and Jimmy Douglass -- all forward-thinking producers, but with more conventionally pop sounds than Herberts approach. Of course, by the late 2000s, even the most mainstream singles had at least a few unique production flourishes, so while Overpowered is without a doubt Murphys most straightforward music yet, she hasnt sacrificed much to make it that way. With its sleek beats, bubbling synths, and nagging chorus, "Overpowered" closely resembles a state-of-the-art pop single, but the way Murphy sings of science and oxytocin over a heart-fluttering harp is unmistakably her. The rest of Overpowered follows suit, giving familiar sounds clever twists that will please longtime Murphy fans and win new ones. The effortless "You Know Me Better," "Let Me Know," and "Checkin on Me" are chilly yet soulful, touching on disco, house, and 80s pop; "Movie Star" is Murphys spin on Goldfrapps glossy glam pop (and the only time she seems in danger of being overpowered by someone elses sound on the album). Even though these songs are immaculately crafted, theres plenty of life -- and Murphys personality -- in them. "Primitive"s synths and strings flit around like mosquitoes in a swamp as she wails "I need to let you out of your cage," while "Dear Miami"s deadpan delivery and spare beats make it possibly the frostiest song ever written about global warming. Overpowered often feels less intimate than Ruby Blue, but thats a minor quibble, especially when "Scarlet Ribbons" shows off Murphys tender side and the outstandingly crisp, bouncy, and sassy "Footprints" and "Body Language" rank with her best songs. Aptly enough for such a pop-focused album, nearly every song on Overpowered sounds like a potential smash hit. Even if this album is a bid for the big time, its done with such flair that it just underscores what a confident and unique artist Murphy really is. | ||
 | Album: 6 of 11 Title: Live at Ancienne Belgique 19.11.07 Released: 2007-11 Tracks: 15 Duration: 1:43:21 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Cry Baby (09:01) 2 You Know Me Better (07:29) 3 Checkin on Me (07:20) 4 Dear Miami (05:28) 5 Primitive (05:34) 6 Sow Into You (05:54) 7 Footprints (04:51) 8 Movie Star (04:19) 9 Scarlet Ribbons (06:14) 10 The Truth (06:06) 1 Forever More (10:50) 2 Let Me Know (08:55) 3 Overpowered (09:16) 4 Tell Everybody (07:06) 5 Ramalama (Bang Bang) (04:53) |
 | Album: 7 of 11 Title: iTunes Live: London Sessions Released: 2008-04-07 Tracks: 4 Duration: 18:39 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Primitive (04:49) 2 You Know Me Better (04:40) 3 Let Me Know (04:34) 4 Overpowered (04:36) |
 | Album: 8 of 11 Title: Mi senti Released: 2014-05-28 Tracks: 6 Duration: 28:07 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 Ancora ancora ancora (05:37) 2 Pensiero stupendo (04:11) 3 Ancora tu (05:08) 4 In sintesi (05:05) 5 Non credere (04:37) 6 La gatta (03:29) |
 | Album: 9 of 11 Title: Mi senti remixed Released: 2014-07-07 Tracks: 4 Duration: 26:29 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 In sintesi (Psychemagik remix) (07:17) 2 In sintesi (The All Seeing I mix) (05:19) 3 Ancora ancora ancora (Severino & Nico de Ceglia remix) (06:24) 4 Pensiero stupendo (Leo Mas & Fabrice dub) (07:29) |
 | Album: 10 of 11 Title: Hairless Toys Released: 2015-05-08 Tracks: 8 Duration: 50:27 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Gone Fishing (05:57) 2 Evil Eyes (06:42) 3 Exploitation (09:23) 4 Uninvited Guest (05:58) 5 Exile (04:01) 6 House of Glass (06:52) 7 Hairless Toys (Gotta Hurt) (06:19) 8 Unputdownable (05:10) |
| Hairless Toys : Allmusic album Review : The release of a new Róisín Murphy album is always an event for fans of forward-thinking electronic pop, and even more so considering the eight-year gap between Overpowered and its follow-up, Hairless Toys. Along with starting a family, Murphy spent that time experimenting and collaborating; between all of her one-off singles, EPs, and cameos, she appeared on well over an albums worth of music. While most of that work felt like an extension of the disco-tinged sound that defined Ruby Blue and Overpowered, Hairless Toys opts for a more personal approach that is so powerful in part because its so quiet. Even "Gone Fishing," which draws inspiration from the 80s ball culture immortalized in the documentary Paris Is Burning, is more breezy than brash as Murphy sings about "My mothers mistake/My fathers heartbreak" in a voice just above a whisper. On the rest of Hairless Toys, she casts a similarly understated spell that feels significantly different from the shapeshifting she perfected with Moloko and on her first two solo albums. The effect is sophisticated but stays away from the artistic graveyard of tastefulness on "Evil Eyes," where an earworm melody and irresistible groove are bold but not flashy. Similarly, "Exploitation" could have easily been a three-minute single, but the way it unfolds in a sensuous nine-and-a-half-minute haze is more luxurious and ambitious. Since this is a Róisín Murphy album, there are still plenty of quirks -- note the blobby synth bass and waggish backing vocals on "Uninvited Guest" -- yet they dont detract from the meditative vibe. Interestingly, this cohesive mood allows more facets of her personality-packed voice to emerge. Theres a newfound tenderness that feels descended from Mi Senti, Murphys Italian-language EP that paid homage to singers such as Mina with a similar openness and vulnerability. She expands on it in fascinating and affecting ways, whether on the bruised title track, the nostalgia-free reminiscences of "House of Glass," or the gorgeous, aching "Exile," a dreamy bit of torchy twang that sounds like Dusty Springfield on Mars. "Ill be back with a vengeance," she purrs, and its this kind of emotional complexity that makes Hairless Toys a welcome return and Murphys most satisfying album yet. | ||
 | Album: 11 of 11 Title: Take Her Up to Monto Released: 2016-07-08 Tracks: 9 Duration: 46:59 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Mastermind (06:35) 2 Pretty Gardens (05:07) 3 Thoughts Wasted (05:22) 4 Lip Service (04:27) 5 Ten Miles High (05:19) 6 Whatever (02:53) 7 Romantic Comedy (05:36) 8 Nervous Sleep (07:41) 9 Sitting and Counting (03:57) |
| Take Her Up to Monto : Allmusic album Review : Róisín Murphy kept fans waiting nearly a decade for new music when Hairless Toys arrived in 2015, which made the release of Take Her Up to Monto just over a year later all the more surprising. While many artists might coast for a while after releasing a comeback album, this is the kind of unexpected move thats quintessentially Murphy. Recorded during the same five-week sessions that resulted in Hairless Toys, Take Her Up to Monto often feels like that albums counterpart. "Mastermind," a disco epic that feels as vast as a galaxy, evokes Toys massive, shape-shifting songs (as well as Murphys 2012 marathon single "Simulation") in its sheer scope. And while "Whatever" may be the shortest song here, it shares the intimacy that made her previous album so striking. But where Hairless Toys was a seamless journey, this is a wilder ride. Murphy takes her listeners in different directions with little warning; "Thoughts Wasted," which morphs from sleek to lush to lamenting, feels like a microcosm of the album. Fortunately, Take Her Up to Monto is always engaging, even as she takes her signature sounds to extremes. The teasing, flamboyant sensuality of "Pretty Gardens" and whimsical electro-bossa nova of "Lip Service" hark back to her playful Moloko and Ruby Blue days, though her more understated vocals strike a different balance with the theatrical music than they did back in the day. She contrasts Montos brassier moments with the much quieter but just as expressive "Nervous Sleep," a dreamy yet unsettled track that captures middle-of-the-night anxiety perfectly, and "Sitting and Counting," a meditation on love so whispery, it sounds like Murphy is singing it to herself. Even on more dynamic songs like "Ten Miles High," Take Her Up to Monto continues the more personal feel of her post-Mi Senti music (the album title even references the Dubliners hit that her father used to sing to her). As pop has become more eclectic, so has Murphy; even if it takes a little more effort to follow her on Monto, the results are worth it. | ||