Strutting an excellent folk sound, Chris Murphy‘s newly released album Songs From The Trees blends atmospheric, often spoken-word verses with sweeping string arrangements and grounded acoustic rhythms, expanding into melodically resonant expanses. Co-created alongside Seth Lakeman, the seven-track project moves seamlessly between quiet, meditative folk storytelling and emotionally charged vocal harmonies, framing themes of personal renewal and mortality with ample depth.
“I was blown away by Seth’s power and beauty as a folk musician,” Murphy says. “I thought his records were very compelling and well-written, channeling something both ancient and modern. I love his approach to traditional melodies and themes, at the same time bringing something contemporary and relevant to the music.”
The album’s title track opens the release in gorgeous form, expanding from a hazy, sunrise-like ambience into soaring strings, lending a spine-tingling chill. Ruminating acoustic strums and head-nodding bass pulses follow, while Murphy’s delivery then emerges with solemn spoken-word narrations. “Down on my knees, songs from the trees,” he intones, with the ensuing “could see her coming” momentum building to a tonal shift, where his phrasing momentarily embraces a singing, title-bearing clarity. Murphy’s talent for both atmosphere and lyricism is on full display here and throughout the album.
Next up, “Clean Break” channels a more familiar folk outpouring in its initial ascent. Descriptions of “dusty roads” and a “heavy load”; exuding a sense of personal tumult and striving for a “clean break”; delight alongside steady acoustic and string interplay, centering around a multi-voiced “clean break!” exultation. Elsewhere, Murphy and Lakeman lock into a seamless groove on “The End of Charlie Lee,” culminating in an affecting “can’t you see?” questioning in the chorus, remarking that “the night is young” in the context of one’s life. A carpe-diem urgency shows alongside the titular depiction of a memorable character. Songs From The Trees is a wholly immersive, narratively rich standout from Chris Murphy, who was born and raised in New York and is now based in Los Angeles.
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“Clean Break” and other tracks featured this month can be streamed on the updating Obscure Sound’s ‘Emerging Singles’ Spotify playlist.
We discovered this release via MusoSoup.
