Time Without Consequence

by Alexi Murdoch

Overview

There's no sign of a letup in the parade of sensitive young men with designs on breaking listeners' hearts through song. But unlike a good many of his peers, Alexi Murdoch has more up his sleeve than just a bleeding heart -- namely a knack for crafting timeless melodies that have plenty of sheen but precious little syrupy stickiness. Murdoch has been compared to Nick Drake, largely because of the disconsolate murmur and handy acoustic fingerpicking he uses in delivering songs like "Orange Sky" and "All My Days." And while that's taking things a bit far, Murdoch does exude a similarly adrift, lost-soul persona, one that seems utterly free from self-consciousness. Yes, he has a tendency to pay homage to his influences -- which cover the troubadour spectrum, from John Martyn to Cat Stevens -- a bit more readily than he should, but not to the point where he could be mistaken for an open-mic wannabe. At their best -- as on the ethereal "Dream About Flying" -- Murdoch's songs carry a captivating sense of dislocation, a vibe that's contagious enough to keep listeners hanging onto his coattails as he flies off to the next emotional plateau.

Product Details

Release Date:	09/01/2009
Label:	Imports
UPC:	5037703087224
catalogNumber:	864898
Rank:	44527

Tracks

1. All My Days
2. Breathe
3. Home
4. Song for You
5. Dream About Flying
6. Wait
7. Love You More
8. Blue Mind
9. Shine
10. 12
11. Orange Sky

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Alexi Murdoch   Primary Artist,Organ,Bass,Guitar,Piano,Cymbals,Harmonium,Keyboards,Tambourine,Snare Drums,Slide Guitar
Marvin Etzioni   Mandolin
Jim Keltner   Drums
Sophie Barker   Background Vocals
Deron Johnson   fender rhodes
Greg Leisz   Guitar,Pedal Steel Guitar
Brett Simons   Bass,Electric Bass,Double Bass
Pete Thomas   Tom-Tom
Jay Bellerose   Percussion,Drums,Tambourine
Joel Shearer   Guitar,Background Vocals,Shaker
Ben Peeler   Lap Steel Guitar
Oliver Kraus   Cello
Chris Chaney   Bass
Ramy Antoun   Drums
Zac Rae   Keyboards,Vibes
Jason McKenzie   Tabla
Sgro   Drums,Background Vocals

Technical Credits

Scott Gordon   Engineer
Joel Shearer   Engineer
David Boucher   Engineer
Jessica Shokrian   Cover Photo
Alexi Murdoch   Composer,Producer
Patricia Masterson   Engineer

Editorial Reviews

After appearing on the soundtrack to the hit TV show The OC, Alexi Murdoch could have easily followed Death Cab for Cutie onto the major label merry-go-round and let a bevy of A&R folks shape him into Next Big Thinghood. Instead, the Scottish singer/songwriter's self-released debut full-length bears haunting similarities to the likes of Nick Drake's Pink Moon, hardly the way to mainstream stardom no matter how many car commercials it inspires. Nearly a third of the album will be familiar to those who already have Murdoch's 2004 EP Four Songs, three-quarters of which is reprised here, including "Orange Sky," the aforementioned small-screen favorite. ("It's Only Fear" is the sole track that didn't make the leap, insuring collector-geek status for the EP.) The remaining eight songs are, in the best possible sense, more of the same, and in the case of the first single "Dream About Flying" and the haunted opener "All My Days," they surpass the older songs. Murdoch's murmuring, Drake-like vocals and John Martyn-style acoustic guitar are at the forefront of the album, with only the most minimal accompaniment. Detractors might dismiss Time Without Consequence as the work of a Cat Stevens for the Garden State generation, but there's a always a place for hushed intimacy and delicate folk-pop singer/songwriters, and Alexi Murdoch fills the bill without the mewling self-absorption of the emo contingent.

All Music Guide - Stewart Mason