Cascade

Following the Holy Smoke tour, the Hundred Men disbanded, with only Statham remaining as Murphy's main songwriting partner. Along with the help of producer Pascal Gabriel and some good session players, including extra "infinite guitar" from cult musician Michael Brook, Murphy created the marvelous Cascade. Another step further up in Murphy's continuing embrace of generally positive, inspiring work, Cascade shows him once again not repeating himself, aside perhaps from the sprightly, acoustic guitar-led "The Scarlet Thing in You." Otherwise, the music this time is generally lush and electronic, emphasizing Statham's atmospherics and melodies to their fullest. "Subway" is a good example, with Statham's synth strings creating a striking air for both the band's performance and Murphy's own passionate vocals, which cheekily quote the old Petula Clark hit "Don't Sleep in the Subway." "Gliding Like a While," which immediately follows it, is just as vast and powerful, a strong guitar/electronics arrangement giving Murphy the opportunity to deliver an equally compelling lyric and chorus. More upfront rockers haven't been left out of the equation: "Disappearing" builds a slow crunch reminiscent of his cover of "The Light Pours Out of Me," while "Wild Birds Flock to Me" has a good charge to it, accentuated by some fine backing vocals. Arguably Murphy's best song yet appears smack dab at the album's center: "I'll Fall With Your Knife." With a slightly quirky Statham keyboard loop starting things out, it develops from a minimal vocal/electric guitar combination into a huge, skybound declaration of love and devotion. It's Murphy at his most commanding and passionate, and the band's brilliant performance doesn't let up a jot.