Murphy Horse [Coke Bottle Clear]

In the past ten years, Conor Murphy the person and Smidley the band have come to exist beyond the mere creative overflow left unexplored in his work with Foxing. Through his own growth in and out of Smidley, though, art and life itself have entered into an ongoing cycle of redefinition. This redefinition isn't a destination, but a new pathway paved by Murphy's gratitude for and security in the artist, husband, and man that he's become. Smidley's third album, Murphy Horse, soundtracks this journey. Though doubt remains a recurring obstacle for Murphy, each Smidley song brings him back home to love. The doubt present in the dramatic, sparsely percussive opener "Corpse Flower," melts away by the first hook of the quirky-yet-danceable "Capstone," just before a breathy feature from Grammy award-winning artist Lucy Dacus culminates in the duo proclaiming, "All this loving you has been the capstone of my life." Murphy chides himself for being too career-driven and fantasizing about freedom from such earthly woes over a bittersweet melody on the album's title track, his spiral repeatedly interrupted by his wife yelling "Hey!" throughout the song. The explosive and vibrant "Love In Every Direction," sees Murphy lamenting this single-mindedness in the face of all he truly has over an effortlessly danceable indie pop composition that feels destined to create a series of massively emotional festival performances. All over Murphy Horse are recurring performances tinged with shoegaze, tropicalia, and 80's rock influence that see Smidley extending beyond his earlier closely-sung, indie folk style. Murphy leans much more into Smidley as an ensemble. Though not a debut by any means, to Murphy, Murphy Horse certainly feels like one. The confusion and doubt are no longer debilitating because Murphy has the support he spent his whole life seeking. Everything and everyone can be repurposed.