M.C.W. MURPHY loves acronyms, apparently.

M.C.W. Murphy may have crawled out of the belly of New Jersey and roamed the streets and pubs of England, but one can only hope that he will grace Philadelphia with his music for an extended period of time. His folk inspired “EP” only contains six tracks, that represent the skin and bones of good music; this EP is devoid of fluff and filler and leaves its listeners with more than most full length albums.

The album gets right to the point with the first track “BQE,” that has an unsoiled sound, magnified by Murphy’s clear vocals against the backdrop of his acoustic guitar. “EP” tells a story and the plot is propelled forward with “Montclair,” a piece he picks out on the guitar with a controlled vengeance. It would be hard to distinguish a favorite track, but “No Different” would most likely come out on top because it showcases Murphy’s wide vocal range and skill on the guitar. The two-part “WCM” ends the album perfectly, Campbell Davis accompanies Murphy on the second installment, which pairs their contrasting high and low pitches over the raw sounds of the guitar and provides for a profound conclusion to a moving EP.

M.C.W. Murphy’s sound is a mix of folk and indie. “EP” is basic, but has an unprocessed, nostalgic quality that packs such a punch. The man only needs a guitar to paint a picture; his voice to tell the stories of places he been. It’s not often we see singer/songwriters reminiscent of Phil Ochs or Paul Simon arrive on the Philadelphia music scene and I hope Murphy is here to stay.

myspace.com/mcwmurphymusic

About Jenn Kelly

Jenn Kelly is an aspiring poet aspirating on a small time town, surviving on the music scene. She is currently in a passionate love affair with vintage Chuck Taylors and classic rock.