Peter Murphy
– Lion (Nettwerk Music)
LP/CD/DLOut Now
Bauhaus
frontman release his latest album.
Make no
mistake, Peter Murphy is a legend. His
work with Bauhaus, worshipped by fans, underrated by everyone else, was pivotal
in the ‘Goth’ scene and to a great degree continues to be.
With Lion,
his tenth album, the inevitable mention of Bowie will be commonplace. Sounding more like the Thin White Duke than
Bowie does himself, Murphy’s voice echoes Aladdin Sane and Heroes with his own
distinctive style. There’s no mistake of
the fact, and some quarters may sigh at the mention but it’s true.
Produced by
Youth, Lion really does roar. The unmistakable sound of the producer is perfect
for Murphy. Screaming guitar and
spiralling synthesizers, crashing drums and gargantuan vocals, this is possibly
one of Peter’s finest albums.
At the age
of 56, Murphy’s voice is incredible. Far
better and stronger than any of his contempories, he growls and grumbles
through eleven marvellous tracks, often improvising with a feeling that pours
from his insides. As lead with Bauhaus,
the group that practically invented Goth-Punk, his voice was distinctive to say
the least on classics like Stigmata Martyr and In The Flat Field (both included
on ten track bonus disc of the groups live versions), and has already
outstripped fellow vocalists hands down.
Album
opener, and lead single Hang Up is the perfect start, it builds slows from a monotone
synth beginning to a pulsating thunderhouse of a track with throbbing bass to
boot. This is Murphy at his best, and
Youth is the perfect partner.
Middle
Eastern elements are prevalent on the album, I Am My Own Name in case in point
as Murphy bawls and barks as his voice echoes in a quite superb fusion. Eliza is haunting and powerful at the same
time, and displays that it’s not all broodiness as the track is catchy,
melodious and almost rock-pop.
Lion is a
fine album, and had Murphy not told us that it was a rushed affair then we
would have believed that it took all of the three years since last album Ninth
to write and record. If he can make an
album this good in a hurry then it surely confirms his status as a British
musical treasure.
The voice
that sold a ga-zillion blank cassettes (Google it kids) roars again.
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