Murphy's Kids
The Anti-Corporate Beach Party

Ever since I first heard Murphy’s Kids’ previous release, entitled This Voice, I was sucked in to the amazing grooves, expert musicianship, and political messages of the band. However, although the music was well-crafted, it wasn’t as refined and polished as I would have liked, lacking in some aspects of recording quality and also in presentation. I was barely able to find a graphic of what the CD was supposed to look like, as I received it as a burnt CD in a paper sleeve. But, Murphy’s Kids has done what every committed and talented group of musicians should work towards – they’ve added professionalism as another aspect of their repertoire. With the release of The Anti-Corporate Beach Party, these guys have presented themselves as a force to be reckoned with, not only in their native Virginia, but throughout the national ska community.

Kicking off with the disc’s title track, “The Anti-Corporate Beach Party,” the listener gets an immediate sense of the excellent quality and clarity of the sound produced. Right from the beginning, the bass, guitar, and drum recordings are very well mixed and even better played. When the up-stroked verse kicks in, featuring atypical and extremely intriguing lyrics and nicely placed horn accompaniment, you can’t help but get up and move. This tune also features awesome sax and trombone solos, which serve as nice breaks between the verses and catchy punk choruses with awesome additional vocal harmony. As the track moves towards a harder breakdown, the band stays tighter than ever, highlighted with expertly-played and well-timed percussion fills. The last vocal harmony in the song is sustained for like 5 seconds, and remains perfect, sealing the deal on an amazing kick-off track. “Stand For Tomorrow” starts with a well-played guitar intro and blends into a catchy yet complex horn hook that fades really well into the punk verse. Horn pops and awesome dynamics really contribute to the feel of the song, as does the reggae-paced chorus that gets stuck in your head for days on end. While some of the lyrics are extremely critical of current U.S. governmental policy, the chorus preaches an awesome message of hope, along the lines of “I will stand for tomorrow with the children of today.” Just when you think the song’s over, an expertly played bass line kicks in, initiating a build-up to a rehashing of the track’s initial horn hook. The complexity of their writing compliments the individual skills of the entire band and keeps lengthy tracks more than interesting.

“Are You With Me?” starts with upstrokes and vocals, isolating two of the band’s most refined aspects. But, as the track comes in for the verse, the addition of drums and bass just makes the groove even more infectious. As the second verse goes into double-time and creates an even more danceable groove, it’s complimented with awesome syncopation and even some vocal effects to intensify the music. The final question of the tune is “All I wanna know is are you with me?” Without a doubt, and I’m loving every second. The next two tracks, “ManDate” and “Richmond Bands” are both well-written minute-long tracks that even contain a little bit of humor. “ManDate” talks about a girlfriend that works for the CIA, and comments that “It seems like I’m dating the man,” and “Richmond Bands” describes their music scene and ends with “But I heard Murphy’s Kids sucks.” Not only can these guys play awesome music, but they know when to have a good time. I like it. The last track on the disc is “Thoughts,” which really shows off MK’s use of odd time signatures and a variety of styles, making this 5:25 track an amazing musical creation. With ska verses and punk refrains as the basic structure, the band also throws in a 7/8 section, where their percussionist thrives. It’s amazing what can you do with a couple drums and cymbals, and this guy knows how to do it all. Starting off as one of the song’s verses, a vocal section takes a life of its own and transforms into punk and then becomes completely isolated with every member of the band yelling the lyrics. Recorded while only one of the band’s members had headphones on, it has an intense effect that throws you right into a Murphy’s Kids show. Out of this disorganized and rough section, the song explodes back into the amazing studio production for an exciting and fitting end to the disc.

With The Anti-Corporate Beach Party, Murphy’s Kids has taken their talent and passion for music and explored it thoroughly, giving birth to an amazing creation. Hailing from Virginia, these guys are looking to make it to the Northeast during the summer, so watch out for them. In the mean time, head over to their webstore and pick up their newest release, one of the most creative I’ve ever heard.

Reviewed By:  Todd Springer

Date:  Sat 2 Sep 06

Score:  9.0

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