Roisin Murphy - Machine (BMG)

For many Roisin Murphy will be best known for the hit Sing It Back when she was part of Moloko.

Since going solo she has always been an engaging if different artist. I once saw her in concert and she wore a different outfit for each song she performed. With her wardrobe stage left and an assistant she swapped clothes as if it was a normal thing to do.

On this new album she switches between disco, sultry songs and electronic dance cuts. To a lesser extent Jessie Ware did this on her last album released in the summer.

Kingdom of Endz is a moody electronic cut with hymn like layered vocals. It is as kooky as one of her live shows, you can just imagine how she will perform the track live: totally immersed in the music and giving one of her outstanding performances.

Something More goes down the sultry route with a hypnotic groove whilst Shelfish Mademoiselle is a track that Daft Punk sound like they have had a hand in.

Murphy’s Law is probably the best track on the album. Already released as a single she sings about a break up “I feel the story is untold” she sings. When she is as good as this it makes you think why she isn’t better known behind her core audience.

The disco grooves give Narcissus a real twist, complete with strings before the album closes with the house music track Jealousy which benefits from the mix by house music legend Eric Kupper. In a world of bland pop music Murphy has showed that there are still artists that go beyond the boundaries.

I rate the album 3 out of 5

Roisin Murphy plays Manchester Academy on Friday 17 September 2021