Released: September 8
Delivering her most diverse and captivating work to date, Róisín Murphy conjures a sonic wonderland of creative possibilities on ‘Hit Parade’.
The sixth solo LP from the iconic performer is produced in collaboration with DJ Koze and pushes the boundaries between electro-pop, ambient and psychedelia across 13 tracks that rewrite the pop rulebook.
Arriving three years after her most-recent Top 20 LP, ‘Róisín Machine’, the hitmaker says of her latest release: “It’s a joyful record, I’ve never been happier, that is partly down to personal reasons but also in my work I’ve been very fulfilled. For me the record is about love and sensuality but also it’s about music itself and how it’s always been there for me.
“There are tinges of darkness, of the abyss, as well as all the joy. There’s contemplation of mortality which is meant to serve as a reminder to me (and perhaps you the listener) to really live while we can.”
Trip-hop influences run through the opening number, What Not To Do, leading into the breezy lead single, CooCool, on which she declares, ‘That old magic’s back / An old feeling flooding’, in its opening lines.
The Universe is similarly wistful with a laid-back charm that Murphy executes with ease, yet never appearing disengaged, while layered, enchanting vocals on the verses of Fader juxtapose the semi-spoken chorus, underpinned by electric guitar tones and a steady bassline.
Played front-to-back, ‘Hit Parade’ journeys from laid back ambience through electronic euphoria before arriving at avant garde experimentation, offering nods towards her most commercial releases while veering distinctly away from the realms of chart fodder and into a kaleidoscopic world of experimentation.
Hurtz So Bad features pulsing synths and augmented vocals over hypnotic beats, while The House – clocking in at 3:33, the perfect pop duration – is an obvious single that would fare well on radio.
Meanwhile, the run from Free Will through Can’t Replicate best represents her dance floor sensibilities, all clocking in around the seven-minute mark and showcasing a knack for sustaining an audience over extended beats like only Murphy can.
Come the close of the album, Two Ways and Eureka are among the most abstract recordings on ‘Hit Parade’; the result of a sonic journey through a plethora of influences that have shaped her sound and continue to influence her musical exploration.
Murphy’s latest LP is the musical equivalent of ‘Inception’; it draws you in, takes you for a ride, and leaves you on the other side questioning everything you just heard. Overwhelming for some, therein lies the brilliance of ‘Hit Parade’ – that even in its wildest moments, it speaks to the artist at its core, showcasing her command over her work and instantly becoming an essential Róisín Murphy album.
