Alexi Murdoch
Four Songs (EP)
By Sam Wereb
 "Listen
to my hands."
That is a line from "Song for You" on Alexi Murdoch's
EP, which is one of the hottest selling CDs at my favorite online
retailer. It strikes me as a remarkable line for a singing songwriter
to pen.
I'm not surprised that it sells well, even just as an EP.
What does surprise me is the depth and craftsmanship of this
record. It's classic singer-songwriter stuff done with a fresh
voice. Murdoch has the modern folk-rock balladeer act down pat,
and excels in musical composition, especially at the guitar.
I'm tempted to set out some of his song lyrics here, but I
notice that he doesn't do so on his own liner. That is the prudent
course. On their own, many of the lyrics can seem a bit trite.
But, within each song (where they properly belong) they fit
hand-in-glove with the music. On the CD liner where I expect
to read song lyrics, Murdoch places the glib statement, "There's
nothing wrong with space." Then he fills that space on
his record with four pretty fine songs.
"Song for You" seems to be about trying to reach
the heart of a painfully introverted girl who has had enough
of talking, and the very thought of telling her "listen
to my hands" is one of those penetrating and cleverly romantic
things I wish I could write.
Murdoch's simple acoustic guitar work is his strength, both
in composition and dynamics. No one is going to hire him as
a soloist, but that's no wise-ass critic's condemnation. He
uses his guitar to do all the meaningful communication on this
recording. In an unusual way for an acoustic act, his lyrics
set the mood and perspective, and they serve mainly as accompaniment
to the music in much the same way this is done in techno and
dance music.
Just as I commit to de-emphasizing the song lyrics, I have
to address the remarkable song called "Orange Sky,"
which delivers a veritable essay on dream-sequence songwriting.
This song is an entire reel of portraiture and evocative imagery.
It is by far the best song on the record. Spooky, gossamer
backup vocals by Renee Stahl bid the mind to fall into the dream
tale told here, and their two voices produce enchanting harmony.
This little record delivered far more than I ever expected it
would.
Four Songs is essentially a demo with a great live
feel, though it is not a live recording. It's a polished, but
still real, record roughed over a smooth surface like brushed
stainless steel. Lest that leave anyone with the mental image
of a cafeteria serving line, I'm thinking more along the lines
of a nice revolver: elegantly crafted, seriously effective, and
durable.
*Alexi Murdoch has guitar and will travel. He's on the road
now and his tour schedule and CD are both available at www.aleximurdoch.com.
Contact Samuel L. Wereb at wereb-at-rockzilla.net
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