Roisin Murphy
kept fans waiting nearly a decade for new music when
Hairless Toys
arrived in 2015, which made the release of
Take Her Up to Monto
just over a year later all the more surprising. While many artists might coast for a while after releasing a comeback album, this is the kind of unexpected move that's quintessentially
Murphy
. Recorded during the same five-week sessions that resulted in
,
often feels like that album's counterpart. "Mastermind," a disco epic that feels as vast as a galaxy, evokes
Toys
' massive, shape-shifting songs (as well as
's 2012 marathon single "Simulation") in its sheer scope. And while "Whatever" may be the shortest song here, it shares the intimacy that made her previous album so striking. But where
was a seamless journey, this is a wilder ride.
takes her listeners in different directions with little warning; "Thoughts Wasted," which morphs from sleek to lush to lamenting, feels like a microcosm of the album. Fortunately,
is always engaging, even as she takes her signature sounds to extremes. The teasing, flamboyant sensuality of "Pretty Gardens" and whimsical electro-bossa nova of "Lip Service" hark back to her playful
Moloko
and
Ruby Blue
days, though her more understated vocals strike a different balance with the theatrical music than they did back in the day. She contrasts
Monto
's brassier moments with the much quieter but just as expressive "Nervous Sleep," a dreamy yet unsettled track that captures middle-of-the-night anxiety perfectly, and "Sitting and Counting," a meditation on love so whispery, it sounds like
is singing it to herself. Even on more dynamic songs like "Ten Miles High,"
continues the more personal feel of her post-
Mi Senti
music (the album title even references the
Dubliners
hit that her father used to sing to her). As pop has become more eclectic, so has
; even if it takes a little more effort to follow her on
, the results are worth it. ~ Heather Phares