Video Premiere: Separate Ways – Chris Murphy (ft. Johnny Irion) (reviewed by Dave Franklin)

As Chris Murphy heads out into Europe on his latest musical jaunt, he takes with him Sovereign, the album now especially re-released and repackaged for his rapidly growing Old World fanbase. But, never one to look back when navigating the road ahead or rest on his laurels when he could be kicking up a storm, the album now contains the previously unreleased track “Separate Ways,” which is out now as the lead single from this re-polished album.

After the sparse sonic beauty of The Red Road EP, “Separate Ways” returns to a more textured soundscape. Teaming up with Johnny Irion seems to be the reason for this, at least in part. As a result, Murphy’s soaring and swooning violin is joined by shards of guitar, his dark vocal tones balanced against heavenly harmonies – the sweet spot between folk and rock, Celtic grooves and Americana moves.

This brooding and bruised sonic backdrop is the perfect setting for his break-up tale, his audio auf wiedersehen, his reflective bon voyage…though, as he makes clear in the lyrics, not so much a final goodbye more a “till our paths cross again” sentiment.

If this is your first taste of Chris’s music, you have found an excellent place to start. If you have followed the story thus far, you will know just how much this is the merest tip of a very sonically eclectic iceberg. Whichever it is, understand this. Chris, as a recorded artist, is a great prospect. As a live performer, he is an out-of-this-world experience. Listen to the track, buy the record, and catch him “in the field,” as he would put it, as soon as is humanly possible. You’ll thank me.