If you are not familiar with Róisín Murphy, we would advise you to look her up in the Qobuz store. Her excellent musical career goes back to the days of Moloko, whose songwriting and fizzing energy saw them at the height of dance-pop at the turn of the millennium.
Launching into her solo career with Ruby Blue, then Overpowered, Murphy took with her the best elements of Moloko. Overpowered is jam-packed with hits, played on the radio as much as the dance floor. Murphy's music could be described as intelligent art-pop much in the same vein as early Björk, with her eccentric wardrobe and wacky persona as well as a touch of softness in the vocals. Murphy's experimental minimalism puts her in a parallel universe where originality reigns supreme.
After eight years of radio silence, Róisín Murphy finally returns with Hairless Toys, an album composed of just eight tracks but which sees Murphy as good as she ever was.
Verified Hi-Res by experts, we used a Sony NWZ-ZX2 (itself a recipient of a Qobuzism) with Denon 7100 and AH-MM400 headphones.
What becomes apparent when listening is that instead of pushing the higher register too much, the mixing has been done creatively - which is especially noticeable in this Hi-Res version.
The possibilities are always vast with Murphy, and the sound engineers have risen to the challenge. The size of the soundscape is almost mad, as are the Stereo effects, especially concerning the placement of the vocals (often doubled in both tracks in stereo).
The minimalist aspect is well-exploited, and our favourite track is Exploitation, with its slick synths, snappy vocals and suave swagger. In Hi-Res, the track has space to breath (listening with headphones is a must), some surprises in the details and life in its mix.
The next track is a technically-excellent ballad, with measured arrangments with ostentatious dynamics yet great subtlety overall. Exile sounds like honey, as do House of Glass and Unputdownable, where minimalist subtleties come through in the recording.
With Hairless Toys, Murphy has delivered an intelligent pop album, with great technical finesse in the arrangements, recording and mixing. The Hi-Res version immerses you in the fantasy universe of the dreamy soundscape.
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Original article by PATRICK-PIERRE GARCIA Translation by RACHEL HARPOLE
