Ms Murphy was one of the standouts of season two of the Voice, but she’s been a little quiet in the years since. Apparently she released an EP last year to very little fanfare, but she looks set to get back in the spotlight with the release of her new album Dirty Soul.
Dirty Soul sees Ms Murphy putting her soulful stamp on an eclectic collection of songs. Some of the songs are soul standards delivered faithfully by the Sydney songbird. Others are more unusual choices, like cuts from Rolling Stones and Paul Kelly.
No matter what she’s working with, Ms Murphy gives every song an old school soul treatment, with big horns marrying beautifully with her big husky vocals. There’s a little bit of grittiness in this dirty soul; it would have been recorded at Stax rather than Motown if you catch my drift. But it was actually cut at Sydney’s REC Studios, all live, a treatment which gives the tracks a real spontaneous vibe.
I’m not sure I’ve ever heard “Ninety Nine and a Half Won’t Do,” but her energetic cover of The Wright Specials song is a real album standout. I don’t think I’ve ever heard a woman singing “When a Man Loves a Woman,” but I love the way Ms Murphy’s version flips the song. Her groovy version of “Express Yourself” put a bit smile on my face, as did her take on “Needle in a Haystack.” “I Just Want to Celebrate” is the perfect closer for such a feel good album.
Some might say that delivering an album full of cover songs is a bit safe, and in some ways it is. The familiarity of these songs makes the album instantly accessible, and I’m sure it’ll sell well in the lead-up to Father’s Day. But Ms Murphy is damn good at what she does, and working with songs of such quality is the perfect vehicle for showcasing her talents.
Dirty Soul hits stores on August 28, and it available for pre-order now. Ms Murphy will launch the album with a show at The Basement in Sydney on October 8 and a string of shows on Melbourne’s Chapel off Chapel (October 20-23).