Róisín Murphy at Somerset House

Róisín Murphy ends Somerset House’s Summer Series this evening with tracks from her successful solo career together with material as half of electro-pop duo Moloko.

Innocence, the opener of the evening, slowly springs into life with the addition of pounding synthesizer notes, the electronic pads enhancing the song with tropical vibes. Black and white lateral lines create a dizzying visual effect – a monochromatic match to the music – while the singer is as stylish as ever, dressed in a metallic silver jacket with a curious looking bag slung over one shoulder, silver balloon legs protruding from it.

Latest single Plaything contains the musician’s signature electronic beats backing her buoyant vocals, the recurrent riffs upbeat, whereas Demon Lover, released as part of a compilation cassette in 2009, feels like an interlude. This number merges into popular track You Know Me Better (Overpowered, 2007), a definite highlight with its catchy chorus and pop sentiment, with brightly coloured luxuriant interiors displayed onscreen.

The performer exhibits an eclectic fashion sense, dressed in sunny yellow construction gear, while syncopated beats produce a calming effect, building to a livelier climax. Though an unfortunate episode of deafening feedback occurs toward the end of Ten Miles High, where audience members can be seen covering their ears, Murphy and her band recover swiftly.

As the vocalist’s set proceeds, tracks start sounding alike, the formula of her music becoming predictable; it is rare when a track truly stands out. The performance picks up marginally with highlight tracks Overpowered and Exploitation, though amplifier volumes set too high impair the former. The Irish singer-songwriter ends her set tonight with Moloko-era tracks Forever More and timeless hit Sing it Back, fans chanting out into the warm summer evening. Returning on stage once more with a teasing declaration that ‘’we can’t actually do an encore tonight so off you pop,” the electro-pop “exiled princess of glam” disappears backstage.

Selina Begum
Photos: Jon Mo

For further information and future events visit Róisín Murphy’s website here.

Watch the video for Plaything here: