Jessie Murphy In The Woods – Eight Belles (Music Review)
By Andrew Duncan • Jun 20th, 2010 • Category: Categories, Indie Pop, ReviewsJessie Murphy In The Woods
Eight Belles
Self Released
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
Link: http://jessiemurphyinthewoods.com/
A barrier automatically goes up whenever you hear the singer/songwriter try to pull out their best John Renborn impression, and you start pulling out Terry Brooks epics with the actual intent of reading them.
Jessie Murphy In The Woods is not that outlandish in medieval lyric, but a song like “In The Woods” flails about with a framework of a Middle Age fantastical airiness to the song and melodic turpitude like Hildegard Von Bingen relenting about love-making. They romp about between gypsy revivalist — yes, they use a flute to saunter about — and acousticly-driving punk structures as Murphy sings “In the woods, the virgin forest…the human forest.”
When the trio gets serious and Jessie Murphy’s storytelling becomes a focal point (“Brilliant Sundays,” for example), it becomes entrancing, leaving you with thoughts of The Stones’ “Wild Horses” in your mind.
These bouts of serious contemplations are where the trio shines. “Pretty Machine” proves that the band can team excellent songwriting with expressively diverse musicianship (it helps they are all music teachers) and make it a lasting image in your mind.
Even something like the poignantly introspective, slightly snarky, “God Save Owen Wilson” is done well enough that you cannot help but dig into the philosophical elements of why they would write a song about Owen Wilson and why he is just like her. You begin to wonder just exactly what their perspective is on society. That is when you realize that Eight Belles is a creative work with songs that is a rare treat to experience in the realm of chamber folk construction.
Andrew Duncan is a journalist who has migrated to the forces of academia. He has written for various publications including Chord, Heckler, Readyset...Aesthetic, and a vast array of alternative press contributions. When not roaming the streets of Indianapolis, he is either addicted to KXCI, making music, or striving to watch every film listed on IMDB.
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