Winning the hard way and fighting for the truth

This week: ‘Hard earned, Hard fought, Hard won’, by Kevin Kerdoc Murphy

THIS week’s column is the second in a two-part look at the music of Kevin Kerdoc Murphy.

A songwriter who wears his heart on his sleeve his songs examine everything from politics to the frailties of human relationships and that is exemplified to perfection on his recently released album ‘Hard earned, Hard fought, Hard won’.

The bluesy, swamp ballad, ‘Ode to Harry Gleeson’, is a great way to kick the album off. It tells the story of the aforementioned Mr Gleeson who was executed for a murder he didn’t commit.

He received a posthumous pardon from the Irish Free State Government and was the first person to receive such a pardon.

The song is a vivid telling of the Gleeson story and from his vocal performance Murphy has obvious passion and sincerity for the subject matter of the track.

The bluesy feel of the album continues on ‘The Last One to Leave’.

It’s a song the focuses attention on the dangers posed to our planet by those whose corporate accounts are more important than the environment.

There is a fantastic acoustic vibe to the album and it’s the type of collection that would sit comfortably alongside acoustic albums by the likes of Joe Bonamassa.

Murphy, who is based now in Berlin, surrounded himself with a team of formidable musicians to record the album including: San Claessons (keyboards/vox); Herco Schuchard (whistles); Vincent Pompe Van Meerdervoort (accordion/bódhran); Ad Bastiaanssen (drums); along with Ruben Isarin and Tom de Munck (co-producers/guitars/ bass/keyboards/vox) .

There is a slight Tom Petty feel to ‘The Last One to Leave’ which is interesting.

The song has a brilliant chorus that stays in the listener’s consciousness long after the track has ended.

The third track is a cover of the Shane McGowan track, ‘Lullaby of London’.

Murphy has often highlighted how much of a fan he is of the former Pogues frontman and his take on this particular track is exemplary.

It’s a track that obviously takes things down a folky path and that’s something that continues on ‘The Famine Fields’.

Obviously based around the Irish famine it’s a lovely mid-tempo ballad that embraces folk with a hint of Americana.

There are some fantastic acoustic guitar lines laid down throughout the song that embellish the vocal melody in exemplary fashion.

‘Man Killing Man’ is about the Troubles and in particular the Dublin and Monaghan bombings which created one of the darkest days in the history of the Troubles.

It’s an upbeat, acoustic driven track that is very infectious and builds from a basic, albeit lively, acoustic guitar intro into a raucous, frenzied climax.

Of the track’s subject matter, Murphy himself said: ‘... the sons and daughters of ordinary people sent back to their parents in bags...is life not short enough just the way it is’.

‘Down in the Deep’ is an mid-tempo track about depression; something the writer admits to experiencing some years ago.

However, while the song tells a tale of a childhood school experience that wasn’t very nice it also shines a light on the fact there is always a light at the end of the darkest tunnel.

Towards the end of the track Murphy introduces a spoken word interlude - something he does on a number of tracks - and it’s very effective.

‘Down in the Deep’ is arguably one of the most thought-provoking tracks on the album.

‘Bankrobber’ is another brooding, bluesy, mid-tempo rocker.

It benefits from the introduction of a brilliant, 60s style keyboard pattern.

However, there is a strong social message in the track: ‘Justice is a word for us but it don’t apply to them, ‘cos those that we had stole from are free to steal again.’

‘Where is the Truth?’ is a song that will resonate with anyone who has in interest in equality, justice and fairness for all mankind.

‘I’m a solder with a rifle stealing someone else’s land, and I’m fighting for the balance sheet of a faceless greedy man,’ sings Murphy as he examines a world of corporate control where decent, honest people suffer.

The final song on the album focuses attention on the murder of Sophie Lancaster by a gang of cowardly, teenage thugs in a park in an English town in 2007.

Her murder, and the severe beating her boyfriend endured, received national headlines at the time.

While Murphy’s song looks at that particular murder the lyics could be applied to a number of scenarios where innocent people are victims of people who contribute nothing but heartache to society

‘Hard eared, Hard fought, Hard won’, is a very moving album that exemplifies the writing of a powerful songwriter.