Chris Muurphy - Hard Bargain (2017)

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Written by Jay Snyder, posted by blog admin

Chris Murphy’s latest album Hard Bargain came to recorded life in front of an energetic live crowd and the decision certainly makes the new release all the more invigorating to hear. Murphy is truly in his element here – solo, the audience’s sole focal point, and presenting some of his best material ever to sympathetic ears. The ten performances constituting Hard Bargain cover the gamut in subject matter and texture; some even have an outright commercial edge only slightly masked by their acoustic trappings here. The impressively wide breadth of his creativity and its abiding productivity really distinguish him from many practitioners in roots or Americana music but labels are never necessary except for someone trying to sell music. The production of this live album spares no punches and brings an admittedly limited sonic spectrum to vivid life and makes Murphy sound like he’s landed in your living room.

That effect is quite apparent on the title song. “Hard Bargain” is one of the album’s best tracks, a hard nosed, sturdily constructed blues rocker in acoustic clothing. Murphy’s violin transforms the formula some and gives the song a certain amount of melodicism it would have otherwise lacked. “Ain’t No Place” returns Murphy to a much more traditional approach and the religious overtones of the song, a nod to gospel and religious blues from the early 20^th century, never rings hollow in Murphy’s delivery, It has a strong chorus – a hallmark of many songs on Hard Bargain, The hypnotic melodies of “Bugs Salcido” are a perfect fit for Murphy’s dark narrative about the fate of the song’s title improbably named title character. The lyric is masterful and Murphy gives the vocal just the right tone to get over with listeners.

“White Noise” is another of the album’s songs with a tangible commercial edge, yet retaining the same musical muscle as the rest of his fine compositions. Murphy really knows how to write a memorable chorus and this rates among the album’s best. Anyone over thirty five will profoundly relate to “Last Bridge” and the great chorus hook makes its sentiments all the more effective. Murphy’s voice has a surprising emotive range and songs like this easily prove how much he’s grown as a dinger over the years. The steady pulse of “Trust” and dark undercurrent of music perfectly meshes with Murphy’s unhappy, paranoid lyric. Things end on a bright, albeit still melancholy, final note with the song “Friend” and it’s one of Murphy’s most impressive vocals on the album. He gives himself over totally to the song and its graceful musical arc is a lovely final curtain for the release. Hard Bargain stands among the best efforts of Chris Murphy’s long career and shows no signs of this performer and songwriter slowing down.