COUNT VASELINE

Stefan Murphy (formerly of Dublin band The Mighty Stef) may have moved to Athens, Georgia, but there’s no doubting where his heart still resides.
Dublin is all over Murphy’s first album as Count Vaseline – he reminisces about “living in Marino” on Kids Goin’ Round the Moon, sings about Black Irish post-war boxer in Billy Cyclone Warren, and closes with North Circular Road, a seven-minute, distortion-blasted hymn to the Northside.
There’s plenty of introspection, too – there are references to his father and daughter, and some serious soul-searching on Evil in your Eyes – but this is far from a self-indulgent record; it’s much more fun than that.
Raw garage rock and crooning fuzz-pop with nods to Bowie, Hawley and Jesus and Mary Chain among many others, these 13 songs fizz with energy and are full of heart. - THE IRISH TIMES [Ireland]

Whilst many musicians tend to tread the thin, often imperceptible lines blurring their status as performer or full-blown artist, it’s safe to say Dublin’s Stefan Murphy falls very comfortably into the latter. With his unique brand of urgent, genre-warping sonic wanderlust, from his days fronting the much-loved The Mighty Stef to his current guise as Count Vaseline, Murphy has always clearly lived, felt and fully meant his calling.

Set for release on Friday (September 30) via OCDC, the debut Count Vaseline album, Yo No Soy Marinero, was born as a DIY project in Berlin back in the Spring. Having spent much of his time since in various studios assembling the the 12 tracks that make up the release, the album was later mastered and designed as a 50 minute mix-tape, “the kind that may have lulled you off to sleep in the years shortly before mobile, hand-held technology.”

Layered with stolen tape-recorded dialog that ranges from Harry Belafonte talking about the struggles of Black America to a young Nirvana being “sarcastic little fuckers”, the album is – according to Murphy, who performs all the music on the release – “an unapologetically frantic body of work and proposes to be the first in a soul searching sound navigating trilogy of records that Count Vaseline will do with.” As was only to be expected, Murphy indeed fully succeeds in contriving such a breathless, inspired collection of songs traversing almost every conceivable manifestation of providence, adventure, scorn, love, madness and mercy.

As well as a track-by-track from Murphy, have a first listen to Yo No Soy Marinero below. - THE THIN AIR [UK]

After more than ten years and several albums, has Murphy added band The Mighty Stef on the shelf to pursue a new career as a solo artist. The Irish musician has moved to the US and his new project, Count Vaseline, he does everything himself. No band members to work with - for better or worse. Only Murphy with microphone, various instruments, loops, boxes, sound effects and a mac.

It is then also not as tight, organized and acted like it was with the band, but still interesting that Murphy manages to achieve alone. It is a kind of industrial, modern touch of music, and Murphy's vocal is like always world class. Add quality as a songwriter, then you have an excellent release.

Yo No Soy Marinero reminiscent of Mark Lanegan release Phantom Radio 2014, but låtmessig Murphy better and as a singer, he has a bigger repertoire than Lanegan. There's more intensity, more catchy choruses, greater breadth and variety. The songs opens with short intros, from humor to serious, but it works and fits well into the overall album. The release also comes out as a cassette, so låtsammensetningen is conducted with a holistic mind about which to begin and end side A and B.

The title song with its rickety rhythm and noise guitars opens the album, before a seeker Murphy in more poppa Evil In Your Eyes recalls their melodic skills. He calms the pace of beautiful Sleep / Weep , is more punkish in Victoria Says and close ballad-level in retrospect Kurt Cobain No. 1 , about the horrible song Murphy age 17 wrote to Cobain. This song comes at large again as No. 2 on page B on the album, but then in a more rocking and darker version.

However, it is between Cobain tunes that Murphy really shows what skills he possesses as a performer and songwriter. Lined come good songs, like the sentimental Olive (last song on side A), which has a delicious 60's lo-fi feel to it, and Berlin-inspired divebombing (first song on side B), which is entirely on Nick Cave-line.

Then a kind of tribute to Liverpool , which is straight ahead rock with name dropping of several Liverpool characters and the recurring text line, Grave Diggers in Liverpool are Refusing two Bury the Dead . Kids goin 'Round the Moon is sparkling garage pop, while Billy Cyclone Warren has a more psychpop-feel to it. In other words, the side B that stands out as the album's strongest side. The whole is rounded off by the slightly longer and atmospheric North Circular Road .

It's something redemptive over the release of Count Vaseline, as if energy is reborn in Murphys musical work. Though there was a weariness there at the end of The Mighty Stef, then it is in any case a new fresh start to track on Yo No Soy Marinero . It is clear that Murphy has needed a different direction, for a more positive approach to writing and performing music. As a solo artist gets maybe more energy and resources to such. Band trades often about compromise and in many cases driven by more success and hopefully the final breakthrough. Alone can Murphy greater degree cultivate skills as a singer and songwriter.

Yo No Soy Marinero laws at least good for future releases from the Irish artist if it's like Count Vaseline or Stefan Murphy. - Musikknyhter [Norway]