John Murphy

1 week ago | musicomh.com | John Murphy

Once you’re tuned into the avant-garde Slovenians’ world, their music can have a mesmeric effect, with some immensely powerful momentsOver the course of their 45 year career, Slovenian avant-garde artists Laibach have never done things the conventional way.

1 week ago | musicomh.com | John Murphy

A thoughtful mediation on time moving on, and a lovely farewell gift from one of the true legends of the folk music worldIt’s fair to describe Peggy Seeger as folk music royalty by now. Just a glance at her family tree reveals a plethora of star-studded names. She’s the half-sister of folk legend (and Bob Dylan mentor) Pete Seeger, while musician Mike Seeger is another sibling.

1 week ago | musicomh.com | John Murphy

Erasure’s singer romps through euphoric Eurodisco and gospel on his third solo album, and lines up a guest star spot for Debbie HarryAn Andy Bell solo album has always felt slightly jarring in the past. When your voice is so inextricably linked with Erasure, one of the biggest synth-pop bands of recent times, it’s hard to readjust to a solo performance. It’s like Neil Tennant singing away with no sign of a grumpy-looking bloke in a baseball cap lurking next to him.

2 weeks ago | musicomh.com | John Murphy

Songwriting course veterans and best friends Louise Macphail and Kristen McFadden have crafted a remarkably accomplished debutSome things are worth taking the time over. Prima Queen, a duo consisting of best friends Louise Macphail and Kristen McFadden, seem to have been around for ages. They met in London at a songwriting course, and when Macphail returned to her native Chicago, the two started writing music together via Zoom. Post-pandemic, the duo have hit the ground running.

3 weeks 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.