Róisín Murphy “Hit Parade” Album Review

When it comes to electronic music, Róisn Murphy has been a pioneer, and with “Hit Parade,” she has cemented her reputation as a legend.

As a result of their collaboration with DJ Koze, the duo has produced a record that delivers hit after hit, leaving you speechless.  When played back-to-back, “Hit Parade” travels from mellow ambience to electronic euphoria before arriving at avant-garde experimentation. This album gives hints to some of her most popular releases while veering sharply away from the realms of chart fodder and into a kaleidoscopic world of experimentation.

As vibrant and vivacious as Róisn Murphy herself, “Hit Parade” is a hit. Murphy has produced an album that is genuinely a contender for album of the year and that has real musical depth yet doesn’t take itself too seriously. Murphy is responding to the world around them by fusing both fresh and well-loved genres together, which is what every artist should do. Róisn is establishing a standard that will be followed for a long time by marching to the beat of her own drum.

Album Cover Art

Murphy puts on display her support for the LGBTQIA+ community by rocking an air-filled, multi-colored rubber suit, while a botched smile plays on her face.

Tracks and Features

The brooding opener “What Not to Do” is a testament to the pitfalls of lust—how it leads us to contort ourselves into uncomfortable shapes and become smaller in aid of the approval of another. In that vein, the next track, “CooCool,” is the antidote: What sounds like a warm breeze rushes through the song, as Murphy sings of “that ol’ magic” returning in the face of a new love interest.

“The Universe” traverses much of the same thematic ground, with all the world’s forces seemingly aligned to let love blossom, but the song is singularly weird. Spoken-word interludes, distorted vocals, repetitions of “row, row, row my boat” all converge to create a daring masterpiece that only Murphy could convincingly pull off.

In the song “Hurtz So Bad,” Murphy describes a relationship that was once driven by love but is now simply a game of evading landmines: “Posting me a bomb/And if I open it, I’m a gone, gone, gone.” The following song, “This House,” features Murphy complaining about feeling “locked” in and portrays love and desire as oppressive rather than liberating. The seven-minute slow burn makes it all the more exciting when she eventually throws off her chains. “You Knew,” voicing the question “What you expect me to toe the line for?/You knew exactly what you were buying!”

‘Fader’ is a passionate song that is accompanied by a music video shot in Róisn Murphy’s native Arklow, Ireland. Boy scouts, girls wearing communion gowns, Irish dancers, and baton twirlers all serve as stunning tributes to Murphy’s Irish heritage and portray the actual spirit of the march in which she participates.

Trap-inspired experimental track “Two Ways” is the epitome of a musical slam dunk. By fusing sensual vocals from Murphy with a vocoder and thumping 808s, she pushes the boundaries of the genre and creates a modern sound that far surpasses the work of the biggest artists right now.

Album Theme

As much as “Hit Parade” infuses every tune with a different kind of excitement, Murphy also perfectly encapsulates the ups and downs of life, whether it be through humor, a dancing sense, or soft grace. Both the ecstasy and the sadness have a hint of the abyss. The idea of death is brought up to serve as a reminder to the listener to enjoy life while it lasts.

Tracklist

NO	TITLE	TIME
1	What Not To Do	5:02
2	CooCool	4:31
3	The Universe	4:05
4	Hurtz So Bad	4:37
5	The House	3:32
6	Spacetime	0:30
7	Fader	4:23
8	Free Will	6:22
9	You Knew	7:16
10	Can’t Replicate	7:28
11	Crazy Ants Reprise	1:28
12	Two Ways	4:26
13	Eureka	4:43

Production Credits

DJ Koze & Róisín Murphy produced the album.

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