For some of you, Róisín (pronounced roh-SHEEN... not "royzin" or as my friend Jeff calls her "raisin") Murphy, is old news. Nevertheless, I think she has been undiscovered by many, particularly those in the states, and deserves to be mentioned on CB. She originally rose to popularity as the frontwoman for the electronic pop duo, MOLOKO. After a break up and a very respectable foray into the world of fashion, Ms. Murphy has since begun producing some incredible pop music. She has, thus far, released two albums. The first entitled Ruby Blue was a poppy-jazz album, brought to electronic life by none other than blip-pop genius Mathew Herbert. Her sophomore release (and my personal favorite) is called Overpowered, and it sees Róisín branching out into some heavier and more club-ready sounds.Although rumored to release a full-form album, she has chosen to take a decidedly "2011" approach to the release of her new tracks... on a track-by-track basis. Murphy said, "First of all, I haven't recorded a new album as such. I've recorded a lot of songs, but I haven't planned beyond just putting the songs out there and letting them have their own life, and see how the music lives on its own, without videos, without a big promotion. It's more just about getting songs out there and letting them have their own." As long as the quirky queen continues to produce her unique tracks, I'm good with whatever approach she takes to her releases. Since Overpowered, We have gotten a few gorgeous songs, some hers and some with her performing guest vocals on other artists' songs. No matter what the forum, though, she always has a way of giving any spirit of song a certain ease and, dare I say, slightly-upwards-of-melancholy feel. There is, undoubtedly, a sense of humor to the majority of her music, and an uncanny ability to make bizarre and effective references to music eras gone-by.
Please have a listen to her new-ish track Boadicea (a collaboration with Mason) and its remixes, the awesome herbert-esque Orally Fixated, and watch the fantastic video for Let Me Know. To learn more of Róisín's imitable style, please check out my article on the fabulous fashion website Trés Awesome! Classy Touch, indeed :)
Mason featuring Roisin Murphy - 'Boadicea' by Mason
Roisin Murphy - Orally Fixated by 24-96 Mastering