Hairless Toys // Róisín Murphy
Róisín Murphy’s album Hairless Toys is a diverse and creative album inspired by themes ranging from New York 80’s gay scenes to melancholic introspection. Sonically, it is intimate, with soft and sweet vocals and sparse, percussive accompaniments.
Her album is inspired by genres ranging from funk to EDM and is an elaboration from her previous work to show a refreshed side to her unique style. She uses the sonic template to cleverly express a range of emotions and ideas and frees herself from traditional pop song structures and expectation, while still creating an accessible sound.
The album has been crafted carefully and has a clean, polished feel though not without an underlying sense of entropy. With a gap of eight years between the last album, Murphy has constructed eight songs that gel together so well and seamlessly, but evolve slowly throughout. With only one song under five minutes and the longest being over nine minutes long, this album is a divergent, strong contender to win the award.
Words by Samm Anga