Chris Murphy – The Red Road (Music by Chris Murphy)

Chris Murphy – The Red Road (Music by Chris Murphy)

July 5, 2024

It’s a nice feeling when you sit down to review a record after seeing the artist live just the night before. And it’s the same with Chris Murphy‘s latest EP, The Red Road. While the sound of his violin still hangs in my air, I put the virtual needle on the CD.

The two singles already released kick things off and tell us a lot about Chris’ musical world. “Never Learned To Drive” is a humorous story set to a bluegrass groove, “Worn Thin” is a more serious message delivered in driving Celtic tones, and between the two we get a glimpse into the wit and wisdom, the inner thoughts and tall tales, the classic American sound and the old Irish moods that he uses to make his music.

The title song is a troubadour tale of living in the here and now with someone just wild enough to set you truly free, but it’s the sprawling and spiraling “Complete Works of Edgar Allen Poe” that speaks to me the most. It’s a mix of literary references, not just from Poe but also Shakespeare, woven into a thoughtful narrative. Finally, “Tara McKinley” is another one of those character studies where Chris shines.

Recorded music doesn’t capture the live experience as well, although this one does it better than most. But only live do you get all those extra moods and moments, those extra sounds that gather and filter through, all those sounds that are much more than the sum of the music’s parts, all those glorious unplanned ideas and improvisations. But until you see Chris Murphy live, and you must, The Red Road is the perfect way to fill your time.

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