Album Review of
Surface to Air

Written by Joe Safari
July 12, 2016 - 12:00am EDT
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The 14 songs on Murphy’s album travel lots of ground – from gypsy-Irish-folk instrumentals like “The Hunter and the Fox” to old-time music hall numbers like the spooky “Vernon Tool & Die” or the even older-time Civil War lament, “Elmira Prison Camp,” all the way to pub rock fare, such as “Dead Weight,” and the acoustic funk of “Bugulusa Blues,” another instrumental. As this album demonstrates, Murphy is a rock-and-roller with a potpourri of early American influences, accompanied by a sturdy workingman’s voice made better by occasional harmony background vocals. D.J. Bonebrake, former drummer for the influential L.A. proto-punk kings, X, even makes an appearance, drumming on two tunes. Murphy spins old tales and earthy reflections of everyday life, with thriving melodies to give them all a good bounce.