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Album reviews Music

Roisin Murphy

Rating: NNNN

Roisin Murphy’s 2007 album, Overpowered, used classic disco as a springboard into slick, modern pop. It was a commercial flop but grew the ex-Moloko singer’s following among fans, DJs and producers with a strong sense of dance history.

It also led to a string of singles that Murphy made with assorted European house producers over the past seven years. Accordingly, her latest is a discerning Euro-pop fan’s wet dream. Mi Senti, along with one original, features five covers of 60s and 70s Italian pop songs by singers such as Mina and Patty Pravo, rearranged as spaced-out pop using synthesizers that evoke the Italo disco era’s analog warmth.

And just as Italian producers obsessed over making the best synth sounds, Murphy makes the most of her sultry voice. She soars on opener Ancora Ancora Ancora but quickly settles into a stylish precision. The EP’s graceful minimalism is best realized on the lone original, In Sintesi. Bleepy synths and breathy whispers swirl around a pulsating rhythm toward a beautifully understated climax.

Top track: In Sintesi

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