An Armchair Critic Review!

[Photo by Andy Watson @ www.drw-images.co.uk]

Jonathan Taylor is An Armchair Critic with an awesome new music blog we recently discovered and recommend you check out! Thank you again to Mr Taylor for his beautiful words and thoughtful review of new album which you can read below.

xo

Mrs M

WWW.ARMCHAIRCRITIC.COM

By Jonathan Taylor

Ghosts and Good Stories is a significant release for My Ruin, it marks a decade of releases, of which this is the sixth album. As always it is unapologetic in its tone and never disguises its intent. Now recording as a two piece My Ruin are tighter than ever. The marriage – both musically and physically- between Tairrie B Murphy and Mick Murphy has culminated in My Ruin’s finest album to date. The intensity of two closely linked individuals explodes in a very controlled firework display of despise! Mrs M’s vocal outpourings of bile and hoodoo screams are perfectly complimented by the Sabbath drenched Southern sludge swagger of MM’s thick riffs and transcendental solos; this, along with the pummeling bass lines – heavy enough to blow the skin from your face - and the decimating drums create something awesome and beautiful!

The opening chords of ‘Diggin’ For Ghosts’ are so heavy you can feel the sweat being pulled from your brow. The immense doom of the intro howls with the midnight yearnings of a werewolf. This southern gothic soaked setting is perfect for the lyrics and delivery of Tairrie B’s purging of the soul in a grotesque tale of self-redemption; perfectly summed up in the line ‘If I kill all my demons – Will my angels leave me alone.'

The second track ‘Long Dark Night’ is, without competition, the heaviest tune on the album. Tairrie B screams and scolds the world of religion for its stagnating insomnia, the one that prevents the human spirit achieving atonement from past transgressions and past humiliations. The hoodoo voodoo sermon and deep riffs scream so hard that they tear deep into the soul and pump a floundering heart.

The track ‘Money Shot’ is a visceral attack on the weakness of woman in rock bands; those who allow themselves to be manipulated by the greed of an industry that is no longer governed by the artistic credibility of an artist but one governed by flesh equaling dollars. You can not help but feel this song is a sympathetic plea to the likes of Taylor Momsen, while at the same time a scolding from the high priestess of rock; a women who has never given ‘them what they need.’

‘La Ciudad’ screams with pure rock riffs in a requiem for Hollywood. The lyrics disclose the underbelly of a town that parades its Midas touch. This song openly shows the scars beneath the makeup of lies. The operatic guitar solo is so perfect in its grandiosity that it perfectly depicts the ‘town (that) has lost its shine’ – Tairrie B delivers the final line ‘La Ciudad de la Ruina’ (The city of Ruin) with a significantly mournful voice. A perfect executed track.

‘Deathknell’ closes proceedings; a dirge of bass and the echo of a guitar lead the exorcism of a doomed courtship and the subsequent resurrection from heartache. It does not promise an escape from the scars left behind, but relief from them by reflection. The albums finally ends fittingly with the exquisite dirge of Mick Murphy’s guitar.

G.&.G.S. is a beautiful offering to a loyal fan base. One final high point is the choral overdubbing on ‘Repose’ which hails a choir of fallen angels to deliver their deities blessings. Simply stunning!
Big thanks to Tairrie B Murphy and Mick Murphy for allowing me to use the exclusive photo of them ....... awesome couple who know how to ROCK! X