The 4-Track Adventures of Venice Shoreline Chris,
Chris MurrayAlong with the recent release of the Toasters’ rarities collection, this is an old MoonSka US release that, seeing as Chris Murray has now signed to MoonSka Europe, is released over here. And it’s hardly comparable to anything on Moon Europe at the moment, it being a collection of songs from the one-man ska band Chris Murray written, arranged and performed on his own 4-Track in a very lo-fi, acoustic vein.
A third of the tracks on here are instrumentals, and on ‘All-Nite Dinah’ Murray marries a bluesy tone and a ska rhythm to create a calm, lilting reggae-style song that swings along lightly. It’s hardly the most inventive of songs, but the presence of the lead keyboard line at crucial moments is a stroke of genius, which gives the song a touch of momentum that had been somewhat lacking. It’s similar in tone to ‘The Organizer’, again relying on the keys to provide some individuality because Murray seems to rely too much on the familiar blues backbeat or a ska rhythm. When attempting an instrumental ska track armed with only a 4-Track instead of a battery of horn players, 2 guitarists, a 12-fingered bassist and a machine-like drummer care must obviously be taken and the fact that these tracks aren’t awful is a testament to Murray’s talents. It’s just an unnecessary handicap to try something so ambitious, and it’s clear that Murray’s strengths lie in his song writing.
With ‘Solomon’ coming from my speakers on a crappy December afternoon it could well be the height of summer, such is the authenticity of the song, both in lyrical terms and the trad-ska feel of the languid guitar and Murray’s vocals. Don’t look at the album cover – can you tell what colour he is? On ‘Sammy Come A Jail’ he sings like the most rootsy of Jamaican ska and while this may be written off as slightly gimmicky in some corners the fact remains that flowing throughout this entire album is a love for ska music that immediately elevates ‘The 4-Track Adventures…’ above what it was in danger of turning into, a self-indulgent paean to trad ska.
The sheer simplicity of ‘Cooper Station Blues’, written as a lament to MoonSka not accepting his first mixes of the album is irresistibly appealing, just Murray and his guitar telling his story. It’s somewhat trite, but emotionally honest without being clichéd or sounding recycled, and this is Murray’s trademark. “I want to play ska, because ska is what I do” – simple, eh? That’s all it is, one man playing some songs he’s written because he thinks you’ll like them, no pretences or ego clouding his judgement. True, you have to be in the right mood for an album of roots-inflected, acoustic trad ska but if you are, then let it wash over you and hear the sound of a man doing what he loves.
Ben
