Westchester County Weekly, Music Section

Thursday January 6, 2000

Pure vocals and intricate guitar work characterize the work of singer/songwriter Dave Murphy. The key here seems to be simplicity, which is found in abundance on his debut CD Under the Lights. Most of the tracks deal with common/universal themes such as love, loss and isolation, but in stark, refreshing ways.

On one excellent track entitled “Planet of Pain,” Murphy croons: “your face it appears / more than once in a while / I hold on to the dream / and the thought of your smile / I thought I was through with this time that I’ve served / but we make our own choices to forget what we’ve learned.” Another tune called “The Bottom” is a powerful examination of addiction. The array of emotions explored on this disc is astonishing, though not heavy handed.

By Susan Polese