For those who haven’t yet delved into Father Murphy’s fold, prepare yourself for a brisk stroll on the wild side, where tortured vocals, magmatic drones, sudden outbursts of the blackest chamber music and tangential bursts of childlike melodies find themselves contentedly holding hands.
Recorded in a Medieval castle at Itri (the same extraordinary place where Zola Jesus and Gary War have recorded), the EP is a concept of sorts, tackling the many virtues of failure, and the chances we may or may not choose to take at all times, every day.
Pain Is On Our Side Now is bolstered by a cast of characters comprising of, amongst others, Gowns’ Ezra Buchla, who sings on ‘They Will All Fail You’, as well as Italian occult Psych master Gianni Giublena Rosacroce who provides clarinet on ‘Let The Wrong Rise With You’, with Greg Saunier from Deerhoof on mixing and mastering duties.
Father Murphy keep wandering off the beaten path in to the undocumented dark, following their personal, almost incommunicable quest for truth and meaning – one foot in the grave, or tongues firmly planted in their cheeks? It is difficult to interpret. You decide.
“I’ll put an extra shilling in the collection plate if Reverend freddie Murphy has been ordained. There’s chanting and banging and bells-a-plenty, a peculiar hymnal to the art of noise. Throughout, the percussions, strangulated sounds, epic song titles and conceptual doom as if the world’s faiths are administering the last rites over the rattlin’ bones of Liars. If the papists hear this, there’ll be excommunication for Reverend Fred. Amen to that.” – Luke Turner, NME
“Compliments to Michael Gira for pointing Dream Magazine in the direction of this intriguing Italian psychedelic outfit… This is definitely a band to keep an eye and ear open for.” – George Parsons, DREAM MAGAZINE
“Close spiritual cousins of Kayo Dot, they make three instruments sound like a much larger ensemble and make meticulously structured composition seem like spontaneous abstract improvisation. Impressive but nightmarish, like a beautifully rendered self-portrait splattered with blood and self-loathing.” – Matt Evans, ROCK’AROLLA
“The dead-eyed chants, keyboard drones and bone-dry rhytms of Italian Father Murphy’s second album conjure up a funereal atmosphere somewhere between homemade Morricone and toytown Goblin… That ol’devil Dario would surely approve.” – Joseph Stannard, THE WIRE
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