No need to ask for much with something this good

This week: Ain’t Askin’ for Nothin’, by Michael Murphy

If you’re a fan of good old folk-infused country-rock then the subject matter of this week’s column, ‘Ain’t Askin’ for Nothin’, by Wexford based songwriter, Michael Murphy, will be right up your street.

The title track kicks off the CD in brilliant fashion.

It has the upbeat happy vibe of ‘ Dance the Night Away’ by the Mavericks but with an additional hint of Talking Heads in the vocal style.

Imelda Kehoe provides some excellent backing vocals and Murphy is also joined by other formidable musicians in the shape of Mick Egan, Ian Barry, Alice McIntyre and Jack Egan.

‘Yellow Daffodil’ has a fantastic funky vibe with some lovely bass playing courtesy of Jack Egan and the overall appeal of the song is enhanced by minimum accompaniment.

Essentially a track about cancer it’s led by fantastic interlocking conga and bass rhythm.

There are also some excellent guitar effects used to create a sonic tapestry over which there is a fantastic melody.

A brilliant storyteller Murphy’s lyrics implore the listener to pay close attention because each track tells a distinct tale.

The overall sound of the album is brilliant with lovely clarity to the instrumentation - courtesy of engineer Mick Egan.

‘Over the Moon’ is one of my favourites tracks on the CD; it veers a little into Bob Dylan territory and is set to a lovely mid-tempo beat.

This is a brilliant song that has that type of infectious groove that immediately grabs the listener’s attention.

I’ve witness Murphy perform this song live in a solo capacity but the additional accompaniment on the studio version creates a wonderful atmosphere.

Alice McIntyre adds greatly to the the track with her exquisite fiddle playing while Mick Egan brings some lovely keyboard embellishments into the mix.

Kehoe takes over vocal duties around three-quarters way through the song and her introduction has the effect of creating an ‘ appeal and response’ style to the vocals which adds an additional dimension.

Murphy also adds some harmonica to very good effect around halfway through.

‘Cross the Line’ is another stand-out tracks on the album.

A solitary acoustic guitar shadowed by some moody harmonica provides the backdrop for the vocals and if there was such a thing as ‘prairie country’ this song would fit the bill.

As with all top notch songs, lyrically, it could be applied to a number of scenarios depending on the perspective from which each individual listener is approaching it.

On the surface it appears to be a tale about relationships but there may also be some introspective self analysis going on too.

Murphy is a great instrumentalist and that’s very much in evidence from his performance on this particular track.

‘ The Colours and the Brush’ brings to mind a number of different images.

Lyrically, there is much to discern and when Murphy sings lines like ‘pieces of our histories, we learned to late’ it certainly gives the listener plenty of food for thought.

‘A Demanding Mistress’ has that lovely blues feel that fans of Van Morrison would love.

Set to a mid-tempo beat it creates instant attraction and the lovely warm nature of the production adds greatly to the songs appeal.

‘As Good As It Gets’ continues the country-funk vibe of some of the preceding tracks and if this is truly as good as it gets then things aren’t too bad.

On the track ‘Loss’, Murphy touches on the trials and tribulations of life and the sombre nature of the minimalist accompaniment enhances the melancholic feel of the song.

In contrast, ‘ My Hero’, is a lovely uplifting track that embraces old world Americana while telling the tale of the ordinary heroes we all know in life but might not always recognise.

It sounds like Ian Barry on backing vocals and they really enhance the melody on the pre-chorus.

‘Sunday Night’ is another jewel on the album and is a track where the aforementioned Barry is able to flex his muscles on bouzouki.

This is arguably the most commercial song on the album and in a world where credibility would be more important than music politics it would get massive airplay.

Sadly that’s not the world we live in but it’s a cracking song none-the-less.

Notwithstanding the title, ‘Walking Down Our Street’ has a lovely repetitive guitar riff which creates a brilliant ‘walking rhythm’ that is infectious.

‘Running Home’ brings things to a close and it does so in brilliant fashion. A dirty, broody, country-rocker is has a similar feel to ‘Running Down a Dream’ by Tom Petty albeit set to a slightly slower tempo.

Murphy titled his album ‘Ain’t Askin’ for Nothin’’ but when you’ve got something this good going on there’s not much left to ask for anyway.