Peter Murphy - Ninth

One of the top three male singers in my world (the others being John Foxx and David Sylvian), Peter Murphy is a man who needs no introduction to anyone reading this review. Over the years, he's put out perfection: "Love Hysteria", "Deep", Dust" and he's also done his share of treading water: "Holy Smoke", "Recall", "Unshattered". I'd always wanted him to make an album like this one, however, that rocks without regret. This is not Murphy going hipster indie low-fi nor is it easy listening... He's on fire with his latest, his voice is amazingly powerful even after all these years singing. He swaggers on "Ninth" in ways he has not since "Deep". There's a lot of attitude on display here, a very masculine record this one is, no hand holding ballads or gutless torch songs. Peter Murphy prowls and stalks his way through these songs like a starving Tiger ravaging a doomed party of explorers who strayed one time too many into the darkness.

'Peace to Each' is driven along by a maniacal, malevolent guitar line which evokes memories of what Rozz Williams and the boys summoned eons ago on "Only Theatre of Pain". The first single, 'I Spit Roses' is a delicate trip through some of Murphy's finest wordplay yet. His intonation is second to none and the succinct, vitriolic delivery of his lyrics surely is steeped in enough tactile spite to curl the lips of even the most jaded into a smirk. If you are wanting to know if you should own this thing, the answer is: why don't you already. Why are you reading this and not already blasting this album as loudly as you can over and over.

But it's not all brutal assassination of your peace of mind which "Ninth" contains. It also features a song which I feel eclipses the gorgeous 'I'll Fall With Your Knife'. 'Never Fall Out' begins unassumingly enough, disarming you with it's seemingly sparse arrangement... then the voice soars and the strings swell and it's all I can do to hold my emotions in check rather than just collapse to the ground in a fit of saudade-driven sensory overload. This song is what you play when the one you love is far far away, when she's just a voice on the line but the connection only grows in intensity and you think of how sweet it will be when she returns. Following this is the suave, resonating 'Memory Go' which sinks into your skull like a finely honed icepick encrusted with diamonds and accented by the most ornate blood red rubies you could envision. The pacing is non stop, the lines begin to blur and it's a chaotic, choppy sea of guitar shards and viciously choreographed drums. Each song on "Ninth" is a tale unto itself, strong enough to stand on its own and yet also able to sit along the others and create one of the most cohesive pieces of work I have heard this year.

Murphy may take his time between solo albums and his words generally are too poetic in their bent to be appreciated by most but wow did he nail it with this new release. 'The Prince & Old Lady Shade' could be the most muscular song he has yet released. The thing pounces on your consciousness and much like a Viper, sinks its fangs into you without hesitation. Unlike an actual snakebite, you won't be in any hurry to find the antidote nor will you want the poison to ever stop flowing through you. Who ever would have thought Peter Murphy could imbue so much aggression into his songs, the hints have been there over the years, never have they been let loose to run wild as they have on "Ninth". It'll drag you outside to have a word but never will any of those words be anything less than stunning. Jun 30 2011