Rafino Murphy, known for his material under the Uly moniker as well as session work with instrumental group INNRSPACE, is premiering his new EP on the site today.
https://soundcloud.com/user-526409943/sets/pak-it-in-mama
The multi-instrumentalist has featured a lot on the site this year, having scored a couple of slick slacker-pop singles in the form of ‘Redlight‘ and the T5 version of ‘Mama‘. The latter track surfaces under a different guise on this new EP release.
The Pak It In//Mama is an ideal introduction to Uly, stylistically speaking. It’s the sound of long summer evenings, taut jazz shapes on the guitar played against lo-fi pop vocals. ‘Pak It In’ come equipped with a breezy, sunlit vibe in its verses. The drums skip over the beat, leading the rootsy bassline by the hand into the very upbeat chorus. The horns on that chorus are a touch of class, grainy and jubilant.
‘Mama’ hangs out in the shade. The jazz influence is palpable, heard immediately in the rhythm guitar. Uly’s vocal delivery ties an otherwise spacious arrangement into a neat bow. You might feel yourself drifting away with the middle 8, but the fuzzy guitar solo almost crashes into the track – capturing your imagination.
Included in the EP for extracurricular credits is a live version of ‘Mama’. This performance is rooted in the same spiritual core as it’s studio companion, but the horn section adds weight and intensity, embellishing out the otherwise implied rhythmic accents.
This is slacker-pop with its own fuzzy jazz identity, get it in your ears on a fine summer’s eve.
Catch Uly at Knockanstockan, Another Love Story, Electric Picnic & on support for Durand Jones on August 13th & 14th.
