Sister Indica Says BUY THIS: Roisin Murphy's "Hairless Toys" -

Filed Under: BUY THIS

Hi Friends,

I’ve been waiting for this day for a long time…since 2007 to be exact. This day did not come quickly or easily but it’s here and I have to say: the wait was worth it.

There are only two artists I put my complete faith in…two that I know for a fact will deliver music that not only pushes their own personal boundaries, but the boundaries of the musical landscape itself. One of those artists is Kate Bush.

The other is Roisin Murphy.

Today Roisin Murphy released her long-awaited follow-up to the glossy and fairly straightforward 2007 album “Overpowered”. “Hairless Toys” (spanning 50 minutes and 8 tracks) is as much like “Overpowered” as an airplane is like a chicken sandwich.

Those expecting a Part Two are in for quite an awakening…but true Murphy fans won’t be surprised. We know she is always evolving. We saw it when she was part of Moloko and her solo career has continued that same trajectory. We never know where she’s going to take us but we go, willingly, excitedly and are never let down.

Twenty years into her career and I can say (without bias) that Roisin has hit her zenith. “Hairless Toys” is a career triumph, as subdued as it is complex, each song morphing in tempo and melody and never going where expected. The laid-back production really allows you to dive into the brilliant lyrical content. She’s not just singing a song to a beat – she is TALKING TO YOU and her words beg you listen.

“There’s no place to hide when lit from the inside.” – House of Glass

She has said that the documentary “Paris is Burning” (about the underground gay ball culture which spawned most of the modern drag lexicon) influenced the lyrics on “Gone Fishing” but the theme of abandonment doesn’t start and stop there. That loneliness carries through the rest of the album, from the opener “Gone Fishing” to “Exploitation”, “Uninvited Guest” and especially on (and IMO, the best track of her career) “House of Glass”.