Review Summary: Pete Murray expands on his impressive debut LP, Feeler, with 44 minutes of engaging melodies and simple, seemingly-effortless hooks.
This is my album of 2005. I liked this album when I bought it 18 months ago. Since then I have come to love it. A lot. Apart from the singles which received wide-spread airplay on Australian radio stations, there are hidden gems from start to finish.
Pete Murray is essentially the archetypal singer-songwriter: he plays acoustic guitar and writes the vast majority of what you hear on the album. But
See The Sun expands on the base he set for himself during '03 and '04. Horns, keyboards and vocal harmonies feature far more prominently than on
Feeler, and the results are stunning. A delicate, emotionally-exposed album that fluctuates between despair and introspection, and raw, rockin’ energy -
See The Sun is simply magnificent.
Starting with a brittle, fragile verse/intro,
Fly With You develops in to one of the best slow-rock songs to come out of Australia in the last few years. The restrained chorus and mellow verses are the perfect compliment for Murray’s alluring vocals, with the so-simple yet so-effective lyrics coalescing to form arguably the best four minutes of the album. It’s on another of the outstanding tracks -
Smile - where the band shows its ability to provide the perfect framework from which Murray crafts his vocal and lyrical
tours de forces. (Murray effectively writes the music himself, but records and performs with
The Stonemasons.)
Pete Murray is hard to define for those unfamiliar with the Queenslander’s musical offerings. He’s somewhere between
Crowded House and
Jack Johnson, but certainly more varied than the latter. And it’s important that I don’t overstate Murray’s style: he isn’t offering up 32-bar solos or vocal performances to match the
Jeff Buckleys or
Mariah Careys of the world. What he does offer is some of the ‘nicest’ (if I can put it like that) and easiest-to-listen-to soft- and acoustic-rock out there at the moment. The charismatic lyrics, soothing vocals and tempered rhythm section fuse together effortlessly, as
See The Sun flows between the heights of
Class A and the emotional depths of
Lost Soul with a deftness many didn’t expect (and still don’t appreciate).
It is this ability to move between dark, brooding acoustic tracks to stirring, fully-fledged rock songs that gives this album its cutting edge. Just as
Remedy picks up the mood after the introspective and ethereal
Lost Soul,
Trust grabs the album by the scruff of the neck and delivers three minutes of genuine rock. The rumbling bass and the strolling drums work expertly with Murray’s detached and casual vocals throughout the verses, while the forceful guitars enter to great effect in anticipation of the chorus. This feels like the second chapter of
Tonic from
Feeler. (Only it’s a better song.)
And so we come to the title track. It’s worth mentioning here that Murray’s ability to write poignant, effective yet unpretentious love songs is probably his greatest strength as a songwriter. His unassuming lyrics are almost surprisingly successful in their impact, not least because of the delivery. “
Can you be the one? Can you see the sun, with me?” A lingering, mellow track,
See The Sun gives the album yet another twist of emotion and direction - picked up upon by the upbeat and reflective
Security. Murray basically explains where he is at in his life in
Security. “
Show me there’s more than paying the rent. I’ve been passing hours of my days, Selling books and things… I have been told, that I need a secure job, so that I can grow old.” And this sentiment is only expanded upon in the closer,
This Pill. Based on a guitar lick uncannily like that in
Lost Soul, the almost stagnant verses contrast markedly with the full, bustling chorus and break. The crescendo is reached just before the final verse of the album, as Murray and his acoustic fade away to nothing in a delicate yet compelling conclusion.
I have deliberately left talking about the singles from the album to last. Hopefully, for those who know some Pete Murray and perhaps this album, that emphasises just how strong an album this is. Take away the three singles and it’s still superb. Add them in, and it’s a truly great album.
Opportunity is the acoustic ballad that opens
See The Sun, and it’s straightforward positive message of taking opportunities is delivered in trademark Murray style - it’s genuine, unambiguous and unpretentious. The guitar part could hardly be more simple; the piano part could be learnt in a matter of seconds; the lyrics are unassuming. And it all combines to make a beautiful, uplifting album opener.
“
So it goes, another lonely day,
You’re saving time, but you’re miles away.
Your flower’s drowning in some bitter tea,
You’re seeing lost opportunity.
Find your mirror, go look inside,
You see the talent you always hide.
Don’t go kid yourself, no not today,
Your satisfaction’s not far away.
Hold on now, your exit’s here,
It’s waiting just for you…
Your coffee’s warm but your milk is sour,
Life is short but you’re here to flower.
Dream yourself along another day,
Never miss opportunity.
Don’t be scared of what you cannot see,
Your only fear is possibility.
Never wonder what the hell went wrong,
A second chance may never come along.”
It’s a very nice song. Now on to
Class A. This song is just cool. The verses are designed to get your toe tapping, and the lead guitar riff couldn’t be catchier. This has a slight
The Beatles feel to it - it reminds me of
Revolution at times. It’s one of the strongest tracks from the album.
Better Days has unfortunately suffered the fate of many great singles that have the ability to suit many different situations - that being that they get played to death. Fortunately,
Better Days is a strong enough song to withstand the excessive attention it received and still be a great song. The addition of the 'cello is superb, and its combination with the bass in the chorus will keep this song in your head for days. There is a reason why Australia loved this song.
Better Days was the perfect lead-single, and I imagine it to be a great song to listen to on a rainy Saturday afternoon in mid-winter.
I didn't intend this review to be this long, but there's a lot to say about this album. It is extremely rare that I can say I genuinely like every song from an album, but there is no doubt with
See The Sun. Every track can stand alone as a solid effort, at the very least. Trying to bring some balance to the 1000 words of flattery I’ve offered up is quite hard. I’m trying to find the negatives of this album, but apart from saying it’s quite mellow at times and some of the songs sound similar to each other at times (and also to some of the tracks from
Feeler), there isn’t much to say. If you are looking for a softer-rock album with acoustic groundings, get this. Order it over the net, buy it in a record store, or - heaven forbid - download it, but just get it. This album gets five from five from me.
The singles are great, though. I love Class A.
