A born soloist

(Morning Star, Friday 17 November 2006)

ALBUM: The Mighty Stef - The Sins of Sainte Catherine
(The Firstborn is Dead Records)

WITH the sleazy swagger and sauce of a whole crew of sailors, the Mighty Stef is actually just one man - and in possession of a fine set of pipes he is too.

Setting out his store with a gravelly drawl pitched exactly between Nick Cave and Tom Waits, Dublin singer-songwriter Stefan Murphy makes a unique mark with this debut release, committed for posterity earlier this year on a self-imposed decampment to Montreal.

One suspects that Murphy has tried to make his way with various band combos over the years, but the grimy sound of The Sins of Sainte Catherine will leave any listener convinced that this man was made to be a solo performer.

The high point of the album is definitely the piano-driven ballad of the eponymous saint with a uniquely eastern European flavour.

Murphy's throaty growl brings menace and mirth, harkening back to such Bolshevik broads as Baboushka.

Elsewhere, there's less bluesy swagger but more pop goodness on instantly likable Liars, as well as lost romance on Prayer to the Broken-Hearted, all taking musical cues from the Stones to the Clash and many more besides.

Like a brawl in a Russian bar, there's plenty on this record to excite, inflame and intimidate - the secret is to pray for forgiveness.