Murdoch

Originally written as a Facebook note. But blog feels abandoned, so.

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Not Iris; that's for another day. Today, the focus of my attention is Alexi Murdoch, who, apart from looking remarkably like one of my seniors (that, I stubbornly maintain), also makes very... nice music. Now, that's what I'd generally relegate to the corner as a harmless, inexpressive adjective, but it fits Murdoch. There's nothing singularly spectacular about his music; unlike glowing flowers on a sunlit field, he's a bit like ivy that grows on a green wall and sticks on.

I was first introduced to Murdoch through "Orange Sky", which is part of The O.C. soundtrack (and as an aside, the soundtrack seems the only good thing about The O.C., apart, of course, from the hot cast). Orange Sky is probably best described as a calming song. And that brings me to what's most distinctive about Murdoch.

He isn't everybody's cup of tea, no. If you're somebody who enjoys being knocked out of their chairs while listening to a song, or insist on experimentation or diversity within an album, Murdoch isn't really for you. But if you, like me, revel in being soothed and calmed by music, then he might be your kind of guy.

Murdoch's music is characterised by his (more minimalist than not) acoustic guitar, muted piano, and soothing, sometimes husky and always soft, vocals and lyrics and a slow, cocooning tempo. The faint, unexpected (or perhaps not. He is Scottish, after all.) Celtic touches are a welcome addition to the guitar and piano ("Blue Mind", "Crinan Wood"), and contribute to the atmosphere Murdoch creates - that of an autumnal or summer wood with leaves falling softly all around, and the wind breezing gently by. Beside the folk influence, Murdoch is typically country; his guitar is more at home on a whitewashed verandah on a wickerwork chair than on a stage surrounded by 40000 people.

Murdoch's best accomplishment lies, I think, in keeping to a very narrow kind of music - the soft, soothing kind - and yet escaping the monotony of the genre. The majority of his originals are different by nuances, at least in that they evoke different emotions in one, and use the instruments well.

If you're feeling blue, or low, or the sky around you is all black and grey, or if you'd like to be sung to sleep, then try Murdoch. He may not fill your headphones or mind with wizardry or distortion, but he may help you empathise, or stop rushing by and pay attention, or lullaby you to peaceful, calming slumber.

Recommendations:
From Four Songs EP (2002): "Orange Sky", "Song for You", "Blue Mind"
From Time Without Consequence (2006): "All My Days", "Wait"
From Towards the Sun EP (2009): "Crinan Wood", "Slow Revolution", "Towards the Sun"