Daniel Ward-Murphy - 'Until the Morning Light' Album Review

Daniel Ward-Murphy - 'Until the Morning Light' Album Review

23 September, 2009
by: Nuria

Daniel Ward-Murphy reminds me of those darn-earnest kids at my high school who fancied themselves serious songwriters and come the annual talent show invariably performed an original composition on acoustic guitar, usually about the elusiveness of love or something equally ‘deep’. In his debut album, the London-based singer strives to come across broody and poetic, but his efforts fall more between trite and slightly non-sensical. ‘Beautiful meaning has faded to grey,’ he laments on a nondescript track about a relationship breakdown (there’s rather a few).

That’s not to say there’s nothing to commend about this alt-folk offering. The string arrangements complement nicely throughout (as do Jennifer Delaney’s backing vocals), and some surprisingly engaging songs crop up. ‘You Live Up In the Stars’ is my favourite melodically, while ‘The Queen of Something New’ and ‘The Sun Is In Your Eyes’ transmit genuine emotion.

At its best, 'Until the Morning Light' is a throwback to the catchy folk and melodic rock of the mid-90s, a la Indigo Girls or Counting Crows. At its worst, it’s one guy’s bedroom musings crafted into bland singer/songwriter background fare. Ward-Murphy’s high-pitched soulful voice holds promise, though – he sounds oddly like a cross between Tracy Chapman and that dude from Live (remember them?) - so essentially a lot more could be achieved with the right production team.


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Nuria