John Murphy

1 week ago | musicomh.com | John Murphy |John Murphy

Sprawling ninth album is another pleasingly unpredictable swing from one of our more intriguing and exciting pop starsIt’s hardly a revelation to say that Miley Cyrus is unconstrained by the norms of the music industry. Whether it be THAT VMA incident, various songs that allude to recreational drugs or an experimental psych-rock album with The Flaming Lips, Cyrus doesn’t do things the conventional way. In a sense, it probably explains her extraordinary longevity.

1 week ago | musicomh.com | John Murphy |John Murphy

The National frontman’s second solo album is a subtly textured delight that feels both playful and emotionalThe National may be on a hiatus at the moment – after releasing not one but two albums in 2023 and embarking on a truly mammoth world tour – but it seems nobody truly rests in the Brooklyn-based band. Aaron and Bryce Dessner are very in-demand songwriters and producers for a whole host of different bands, while Matt Berninger has decided to dip his toe back into the world of solo projects.

2 weeks ago | musicomh.com | John Murphy |John Murphy

Rediscovering what made her such an exciting prospect in the first place, there’s a freshness and exuberance to Merrill Garbus’s sixth outingIt’s hard to believe that Tune-Yards (or, as they were slightly infuriatingly stylised back then, tUnE-yArDs) have now been around for over 15 years. In those early days, Tune-Yards was simply Merrill Garbus, a collection of instruments and a set of loop pedals, which resulted in some lo-fi but exhilarating records, such as 2009’s debut Bird Brains.

1 month ago | musicomh.com | John Murphy |John Murphy

An album born of grief that is unafraid to take risks and, in so doing, underlines a huge talentEmma-Jean Thackray‘s second album originally started out as something very different. The follow-up to 2021’s Yellow was intended to be an exploration of neurodiversity – Thackeray is both autistic and has ADHD – and intended the album’s title, Weirdo, to be a reclamation of sorts.

2 months ago | musicomh.com | John Murphy |John Murphy

Instantly likeable songs that touch on communication issues, growing old and lessons of life, to be promoted by the Orange Juice lynchpin’s final UK tourAs obvious as it may sound, a brush with death changes you. It makes you reassess things, and inevitably, informs your future movements. Which is why it’s impossible to listen to Edwyn Collins‘ 10th solo album Nation Shall Speak Unto Nation without remembering the event which almost cost him his life 20 years ago.