Roisin Murphy

This is an awesome album, with some of the best beats and vocals from this past year - but what happened to a domestic release? There are still some songs that are unavailable from the initial UK release...the best song, I think, is Cry Baby: sexy, funky basssline and a great, sassy lyric. And just for the record: Dear Miami is about global warming (disappearing under melting snow is a reference to the nearness of sea level), not the death of the club scene there (it's alive and well)...

Best CD I have bought in ages! It's really timeless. It could have been made any time during the last 30 years. If you're in doubt..... buy it!

I really love this album. The strength of the song "Overpowered" was enough to convince me to buy the album. Other great songs are "Let Me Know" and "You Know Me Better." My only complaint is that the album does not seem very cohesive. Never-the-less the songs I mentioned are slick and sweetened with Roisin's amazing voice.

Unlike "Ruby Blue" this one is much more accessible; you'll likely hear some of this album's tracks on the dance floor, or find yourself singing to it. Sometimes it sounds like influences of Donna Summer, Goldfrapp, I won't be surprised if some of these end up on karaoke discs. It's coherent dance pop with that disco funk attitude that still makes it uniquely Roisin. For infectious dance get "Let Me Know" (this song's got to have the best intro I've heard in years), "You Know Me Better" (think 80s Madonna), "Dear Miami" (my fav track- very electro). If you're nostalgic for Moloko, get "Footprints" (very 70s) and "Tell Everybody". Need a trip-hop fix, get "Primitive" (sounds really awesome live).

Róisín Murphy, once the former Moloko frontwoman in dance-pop act Moloko, is bracingly unpredictable.
Following up her underperforming debut "Ruby Blue", her profoundly offbeat album with electronic experimentalist Matthew Herbert , she is back with her second solo album.
Now signed to EMI, she's made her most coherent album yet.
Murphy's songwriting appears to be stronger than ever with a consistent style and sound emerging throughout.
She puts this assured sense of purpose, in part, down to a recent obsession with old disco and house music.
In her own words she wanted "Overpowered" to be an album to find a link between that music and what she could achieve in a modern way.
Combining her lively songwriting ability with the contributions of a host of underground house music talent, she creates eleven songs ripe for chart success, showing contagiously shiny disco-pop.
Although she sometimes sounds like prime-time Madonna, she fuses this with an acid house energy, while her lyrics are a million miles from 'the material girl'.
The opening lines of the album, "Your data, my data/ The chromosomes match", on the ebullient "Overpowered", lead into a chorus about "oxytoxins flowing ever into my brain", while the wonderful slowie, "Dear Miami", appears to be an elegy for that city.
Somehow this lyrical eccentricity makes the thoroughly catchy tunes on offer all the more appealing.
Whether indulging in '80s funk, club bangers or rocking electroclash, Róisín allows no creative slack.

This is what many have been trying to create in the past few years, what with this interest and revival of 80s music/sounds. Except for one minor mishap, a track which you will surely forgive for having been included in this otherwise great record, Roisin and all the people involved in her latest creation have come up with a gem that outshines efforts by most other 'artists'. I can't wait to hear her next album.

...by how much I love this CD.

She reminds me of a modern Annie Lennox.
Love it! It's not as experimental as Ruby Blue (also great, but in a different sort of way). It's just fun pop music, but still unique and edgy enough to not get confused with modern Prefab pop like B. Spears, etc. She's not only a great singer, but she has a very sexy voice!
I recommend Overpowered.

absolute brilliance from roisin , if you like dance music this is
for you !

I cannot possibly claim to have objectivity or even make sense when it comes to Roisin: maybe a year ago but certainly not now.

If I start to examine the songs it will turn into War and Peace, so I'll give some barebones impressions:

Roisin has been honing her craft as a singer, songwriter, stage presence and producer for over twelve years now. She's contributed to the creation of 6 critically lauded studio albums with Moloko and by herself. Her lyrical skills are among some of the finest to be seen in the last thirty years. She begs comparison to Cole Porter for her versatile, suggestive, topical and evocative usage of the English language. She is skilled at singing soul, rock and roll, new wave, blues, and cabaret jazz. Her vocal range has expanded consistently since she started by offering spoken words and "pretending" on the first Moloko album, to eventually letting her own voice break free on their third album to seizing pop diva status with the last Moloko album and dizzying the critics with possibilities on her debut album Ruby Blue.

Overpowered sees her honing a well-woven crazy quilt of her personal style with those of her heroes (she's not pretending anymore: she's seriously creating herself before her audience). As such, I don't think anyone really knows her exact vocal range and she's recently added the threat of dynamics to the mix with the track "Primitive" (think Jim Morrison meets Black Francis meets Shirley Bassey...). She's the only singer to offer a carbon copy of Dusty Springfield's late sixties half-breathy, "reedy" delivery (on "Let Me Know") that I've ever heard. Not only that, but she's touched on Joni Mitchell, Karen Carpenter, Anne Murray, Grace Jones, and Debbie Harry (and those are just the females) in recent years: always being true to herself and in the enthusiastic study of pop and rock and in an earnest quest to find where she fits in.

I say she fits in right here and right now. If you turn to pop music for constant stimulation and endless possibility look no further.

"Overpowered" is not a "dance" album as has been suggested. It is an exercise in artistic pop that uses the dance stylings and the often surreal setting of club culture as its starting point.


I didn't want to bore you with my opinions so I'm just giving you facts.

I am a Canadian who only heard about this album from a review on amazon.com on another artist where someone suggested people check out "Overpowered". Well, I did and I truly was overpowered by the strength of this record! Honestly, the freshest and best dance/pop I have heard in YEARS.

I am a big fan now and have bought all the singles in support of this album. I do so because it is worth it, but also because UK radio doesn't seem to give her airplay and their is zero promotion in North America. All my friends are also loving it as well and ordering their own. Word of mouth really is a global thing thanks to the internet. Radio may still be a deciding force in chart success, but great music doesn't die - it just gets stronger with time. So many people still haven't heard this album and it's a real shame. If you like music that makes you move, but still has pop hooks and melodies throughout, this is the album for you.

Figuratively speaking, take twelve cats, tie their tails together along with lots of tin cans then string this mess around Yoko Ono's neck while she "sings" - that would be music, this is not. Pity, too, because the talent of all concerned is obvious, it's just wasted on this garbage.

This is a great cd. Roisin has a very unique voice and the instrumentals are fantastic. I highly recommend this cd.

There is really no comparison to this CD... except maybe the one Roisin is about to release. Roisin mixes vocals and electronic muzak beautifully, masterfully, and with a purpose seldom matched lately. This CD is VERY cutting edge, very good for casual listening, dancing, driving, background music, or really virtually anything except (maybe) a funeral... yet "Night of the Dancing Flame" might just be dark enough.

Roisin takes you on a journey from darkly ecstatic klaviers and bass, to down low jazz lounge tunes, to chilled out love songs, to pure electronic dance (which is what I love most about her new CD, Overpowered), to hip tunes, to manically entrancing tribal beats, and back again. I cannot stop singing the praises of Roisin's artwork.

_If you have any taste in modern music, you'll love Roisin Murphy._

She is quite possibly my favorite musical artist to date.

Without a doubt 5--no, 10--stars.

That song was my introduction to Roisin Murphy; like another reviewer here, I heard it on So You Think You Can Dance.

Gotta say though, I downloaded the CD on iTunes for a lot less money. These import prices will kill ya!

I hope Amazon doesn't mind my saying that, since they get a good chuck of my annual disposable income anyway :)

Oh, yeah - the CD is terrific!

This album was very difficult to find in the U.S., but after hearing and seeing the video for the brilliant "Sow Into You," I had to get it.

Since then, I can't stop playing it. I love the funky eclectic mix and very organic jazzy-house feel that genius producer Matthew Herbert blends with Róisín Murphy's amazingly fierce soulful, sexy, and sweet vocals. She perfectly straddles the fine line between delectable pop and funky experimentation.

This debut album by Murphy, former lead chanteuse for the indie/electronic band Moloko, is amazing.

Murphy's sound, while similar to Moloko, departs somewhat from electronica and moves closer to dance/R&B. The amazing title track (featured on "Grey's Anatomy") is a funky rave-up that puts Prince to shame. Murphy's cool-as-ice vocals here just make the song crackle.

There are several other great tracks, including "If We're In Love" and "Leaving The City". It would be an almost perfect work, but the last few songs, while interesting and experimental, are sort of at odds with the rest of the CD. However, don't let that scare you away. I'd really strongly recommend taking a listen.

You know her best as the eccentric pop voice in Moloko, that wacky dancepop group that turned out some of the U.K.'s best electronica. Alas, after 2003's "Statues," Moloko is no more. But lead vocalist Roisin Murphy is just beginning... her solo career, that is.

Don't expect Moloko's experimental pop, however. In "Ruby Blue," Murphy tries out some entirely new sounds such as jazz, low-key trip-hop and funky piano-pop, with a slightly psychedelic quirky edge. Sometimes it suits her unique vocals, and sometimes not -- more often than not, the wild little songs work out just fine.

"Ruby Blue" slinks into our ears with "Leaving the City," a jumbled pop melody full of tinny percussion and subtle horns. Murphy sings in a dreamy manner over the quirky arrangements. This gives a feel for what the album's sound is going to be like: It's not like her past work, but not like anything else either, really.

After that comes a string of unusual dancepop -- rather than your usual electronica, there's a funky, jazzy, slightly insane edge to Murphy's music. Yes, there's some keyboard on there, yet songs like the wild "Night of the Dancing Flame" or the fiery, bouncy "Ramalama (Bang Bang)" rely more on the organic drums and beats.

Not all songs on "Ruby Blue" are that much fun, however. "Through Time," for example, is pretty but rather dull. It's midtempo but very steady and quiet, and so after a while it gets boring to listen to. And the finale is a pretty song, yet somehow doesn't fit in with the rest of the album. What's more, Murphy doesn't sound entirely comfortable over a simple piano ballad.

In fact, Murphy's quirky, breathless vocals work best when she's singing over earthy beats and trippy tunes. When the songs are quirky and wild, she sounds amazing. In the quieter songs, she sounds distinctly out of place, not unlike a country singer trying to rap.

Some of the songs lag a bit, or don't fit around Roisin Murphy's style. But "Ruby Blue" is an entertaining (if uneven) solo debut. Lots of fun.

The remixes and the bonus track is icing on the cake. It's a little hard to get a hold of, but worth it. The CD is great!

Like McDonald's says, "I'm lovin' it"! No doubt, this single holds some sweet tracks that make it great for a short workout to get you up on your feet and bustin' a move!

This is a must have for Roisin fans and non-fans. Great title track backed by two B-sides that are on par with said title track and two remixes that are rather danceable. Foolish and Sweet Nothings have a very 80's sound, but fresh. This is a huge departure from her collaboration with Matthew Herbert, some might say more mainstream I just say its sheer pop perfection.

This soundtrack Johnny English is very inspirational you can sit down put on your headphones and enjoy the music the first track with Robin Williams is a very relaxing song i think that it makes a very good main titles theme..

When you watch the film and listen to the soundtrack you remember the funny scenes of the movie.

I hope they make Johnny English Movie i can see a Sequel

I personally enjoyed the movie, and soon found the soundtrack via Amazon.com. I couldn't find it anywhere else, so I was glad I did. In my opinion, it is a CD that you can listen to time and time again. The first track, entitled "A Man For All Seasons" by Robbie Williams made a great opening credits theme, and it a fun song to get the CD going. I recommend this CD to anyone who has seen and enjoyed the movie.

I love this soundtrack. It's loud and clear and swinging and perfect music for the movie. I love it more every time I play it (which is often). (It's great to play it at work when the stress gets too much.)

This CD would be so great for a theme party!

Figuratively speaking, take twelve cats, tie their tails together along with lots of tin cans then string this mess around Yoko Ono's neck while she "sings" - that would be music, this is not. Pity, too, because the talent of all concerned is obvious, it's just wasted on this garbage.

This is a great cd. Roisin has a very unique voice and the instrumentals are fantastic. I highly recommend this cd.

There is really no comparison to this CD... except maybe the one Roisin is about to release. Roisin mixes vocals and electronic muzak beautifully, masterfully, and with a purpose seldom matched lately. This CD is VERY cutting edge, very good for casual listening, dancing, driving, background music, or really virtually anything except (maybe) a funeral... yet "Night of the Dancing Flame" might just be dark enough.

Roisin takes you on a journey from darkly ecstatic klaviers and bass, to down low jazz lounge tunes, to chilled out love songs, to pure electronic dance (which is what I love most about her new CD, Overpowered), to hip tunes, to manically entrancing tribal beats, and back again. I cannot stop singing the praises of Roisin's artwork.

_If you have any taste in modern music, you'll love Roisin Murphy._

She is quite possibly my favorite musical artist to date.

Without a doubt 5--no, 10--stars.

That song was my introduction to Roisin Murphy; like another reviewer here, I heard it on So You Think You Can Dance.

Gotta say though, I downloaded the CD on iTunes for a lot less money. These import prices will kill ya!

I hope Amazon doesn't mind my saying that, since they get a good chuck of my annual disposable income anyway :)

Oh, yeah - the CD is terrific!

This album was very difficult to find in the U.S., but after hearing and seeing the video for the brilliant "Sow Into You," I had to get it.

Since then, I can't stop playing it. I love the funky eclectic mix and very organic jazzy-house feel that genius producer Matthew Herbert blends with Róisín Murphy's amazingly fierce soulful, sexy, and sweet vocals. She perfectly straddles the fine line between delectable pop and funky experimentation.

Intelligent, unafraid to be arty and armed with a deliciously quirky sense of humour - you've got to love Pulp. In the video for "Bad Cover Version" the self-importance and vapid blandness of celebrity charity records (Live Aid et al) are satirically skewered by a host of celebrity look and sound-a-likes gathered to sing a "bad" cover version. This is irony to be savoured and more fun is to be had by spotting all the "celebrities" involved. The first track on this single is the video mix of "Bad Cover Version" and Bjork, Mick Jagger and David Bowie imitators can all be discerned. Though obviously something of a novelty, it does bear up to repeated listenings quite well, thanks to Jarvis Cocker's clever and oh-so-English lyrics. Pulp's original "Bad Cover Version" is a lovely song and can be found on their splendid, Scott Walker assisted album, "We Love Life".

The true gem of this single is a cover version (do you see a theme developing?) of Pulp's "Disco 2000" by Nick Cave. One of Pulp's most upbeat and poptastic singles is given a solemn, gravel-voiced make-over by everyone's favourite Australian duke of darkness. It's such a great song that in Mr. Cave's hands it evolves into something almost hymn-like, full of longing yet uplifting. It's great and not least because of how radically different it is to the original. (Apparently a "punk" version of this track was also recorded, which Cave prefers.)

Finally, Roisin Murphy of Moloko fame reinterpretes "Sorted For Es And Wizz" and calls it, simply, "Sorted?". This is a delicate slice of Italian house tinged disco, with nice swirling bits and pretty twinkling effects (always good). The line "Is this the way they say the future's meant to feel?" is repeated in Roisin's honeyed tones and the vocal is sometimes treated and roughed up a little. Fabien Antonio (a name I am unfamiliar with) produced this insistent, stylish little number.

By the way, the single's cover is also a cover version of sorts - it's a photo of a very young Jarvis posing as Bowie on the cover of Ziggy Stardust.

Overall a fun single, with a great contribution from Nick Cave and further proof that Pulp are ironic, artistic purveyors of class tunes and cleverness.