Nick Murphy

Admirably grandiose and ambitious for such a low budget album, "Breaking the Light" is an effective introduction to Nick Murphy and his wonderful lysergic pop bent. Vocals are stacked one atop the other creating thick washes of voice that coat the sonically diverse textures floating from speaker to speaker. The melodies are unconventional without being inaccessible and the intrumentation is tasteful yet complimentary. These are strong and well performed songs. Props must be given to an Australian artist of such merit for sticking it out in this country, a trying and often unrewarding task.
8 out of 10
Greg Reason
- Tsunami Magazine

19th Sept 06

NICK MURPHY Breaking The Light (Cavalier/Shock)
This debut solo album by Nick Murphy - whos usually to be found as bassist for excellent Melbourne pop ensemble The Anyones - shines a whole new light on his prowess as a songwriter and musician. Broadly describing Breaking The Light as psychedelic-tinged country or folk probably gives an indication of where Murphys coming from on the record, but in effect the album is actually quite distinctive and unique in tone and delivery.

Murphy wrote, performed and produced all tracks on the record, although he is abetted by a stellar cast of Australian musicians that he recruited for the project (most notably Phillipa Nihill from The Underground Lovers who is exquisite with her lead vocals on Arrival). Other standouts tracks include Carry Your Cloud and Urban Boredom Song - which both deserve to become classic radio staples - and the fiddle and pedal steel-infused country vibe of Second Son.

As with The Anyones abundant hooks are on offer if afforded close inspection, and traces of bands like The Flaming Lips and Mercury Rev can be found throughout the album. Above all Breaking The Light is a confident and intimate collection of well-crafted pop songs from a musician who is forging a strong reputation outside of the confines of his usual day job.
Grant Thomas
- Time Off Magazine

Nick Murphy, Breaking The Light

Stepping away from Melbourne power-pop maestros the Anyones, Nick Murphy has taken a more confident, intimate and visionary approach to his first solo album, imbuing his subtle, well-crafted songs with warm psychedelic emotion and gentle country elements. Second Son and Cant Hear the Whistle Blow have an optimistic Simon & Garfunkle feel, while there are Flaming Lips-styled moments throughout, with rich harmonies and Murphy who produced as well as penned all the songs using the studio as a tool to add casual flavour to tracks like Days in the World and the stand-out, Urban Boredom Song. The guest list here is as far-ranging as the musical scope, with members of Snout, The Underground Lovers and Motor Ace among the 18 helpers but its Murphys honest talent and sweet voice that really stand out.

3 STARS

Luke Anisimoff
- Rolling Stone Magazine October 2006

As part of pop stalwarts the Anyones, Nick Murphy has been kicking around the traps for the best part of the last decade, plying his trade in band format. Now he's stepped away from that, delivering his debut solo release Breaking the Light.
As with the Anyones releases, Breaking the Light is all about the songs – the likes of the multi-tracked vocals opener "Elated" reference the Beach Boys in their melodies, while the excellent "The Liar" bears a strong resemblance to Elliott Smith circa Either/Or, all darkness and minor keys.
The psychedelic touches on the likes of "Urban Boredom Song" are cleverly used, as Murphy's falsetto rings out loud and true. The Byrds are an obvious reference point for Breaking the Light, as crystalline production adds layers to the likes of "Arrival".
Strongly melodic throughout, Breaking the Light is an astutely assembled collection of songs, from the pop joy of "Second Son" to the darker theme of "The Liar". Whilst it could certainly have been more varied, it's the sort of album that makes for a highly enjoyable listen as the songs are universally strong.
- The Electric Magazine and Drum Media