Overpowered - Roisin Murphy Album Review

Roisin Murphy

Album Review

DISCO is back !

Leggy blonde Roisin Murphy made her name as one half of pop sensations Moloko, churning out great albums like Things To Make And Do and hit singles Sing It Back , The Time Is Now. Now the Irish chanteuse goes all out to impress with an album of trademark electro - disco beats. She’s certainly learnt a lot from Madonna, Kylie and Sophie Ellis Bextor. If you’re ever in doubt of your direction, then a dance hit will resurrect your career, so single Let Me Know did exactly that, with dazzling results. It cetainly made me pay attention, doning a power oufit to bop around the cafe in the video, flashing plenty of leg too. As it happens, I was a big fan of disco way back in my clubbing days, so I can releate to a lot of this sort of revival.

Taking cues from 80s basslines, there are some really funky grooves that pay tribute to the genre. Overpowered starts the blast, while You Know Me Better is right out of Madonna 1981 .She strangely sounds like Madge too. The out and out dancers are Overpowered, You Know Me Better, Checkin’ On Me which the spot, whereas Movie Star and Cry Baby are nothing more than Euro Club blandness.

Low points are dull over-produced rambler Primitive, and nauseiating Footprints. Only when she gets to the back end, Scarlet Ribbon, a ballad, do we get to hear the vocal sexuality she has in abundance.

In terms of production, and there’s a lot of big tweekers on board, like veteran Jimmy Douglas, Richard X (Rachel Stevens / Sugababes), Andy Cato (Groove Armada) it’s perfect. It’s downfall, it has no soul.

Moloko made great pop that was interesting. This isn’t.

Elly Roberts