Róisín Murphy: Hit Parade – Joyful songs about not taking life for granted

Four of Roísín Murphy’s six solo albums have been released since 2015. Her latest, and the first for Ninja Tune, is titled after her producer for this record, the German tech and micro house specialist DJ Koze, who joked, “I will put you on the Hit Parade, I’ll put you on Top of the Pops”.

There isn’t any Top of the Pops any more, but there is Murphy’s delightfully eclectic and wildly unpredictable career, during which no two tracks, let alone albums, ever sound the same. The Arklow-born singer would undoubtedly consider anything remotely formulaic as the height of boredom.

Hit Parade was conceived in the “imaginary studio” in the airspace between Murphy in London and Koze in Hamburg. This resulted in her claiming to be less inhibited and Koze to be more focused and not distracted by her presence. The results are joyous, joyful songs about not taking life for granted and filling it with love and wonder.

What Not to Do sees Murphy announce, “C’mon, I’m ready like Rocksteady Freddy,” on a magnificently moody slice of futuristic soul. CooCool glides by all shimmery and summery. You Knew adds the inimitable input of Mad Professor, and Hit Parade in general brims with brilliant beats. A cracking collaborative masterclass from two of modern music’s most innovative outliers.