SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: SCOTT MURRAY – THE OLD AND THE COLD

SCOTT MURRAY
THE OLD AND COLD
TARANTULA TAPES

Following his 2019 debut EP, Night Binge, Scott Murray has partnered with Tarantula Tapes to deliver his latest release. The Old And The Cold is a stripped down, five-song EP featuring largely just Murray’s voice and his acoustic guitar.

Opening with the emotional lament, “Dreams I Used To Have”, Murray sets the pace for The Old And The Cold with an intimate and vulnerable tone, influences by folk, pop, and a touch of punk attitude. This is further apparent in the following track, “Underground”, a darker and grungy reflective track that is filled to the brim with genuine conviction. Between this and the subtle fingerpicked acoustic guitar, “Underground” is among the strongest offerings on The Old And The Cold.

The album continues forward with “Me, Myself, And Murray”, a song that sounds as though it would be best suited with a full band, plugged into amps. The fast paced, 2000’s pop punk inspired song falls between Blink-182 and Jimmy Eat World and brings a sense of energy to the EP. Concluding with a pair of true folk songs, “Weekend Warrior” and “Renters Forever”, Murray’s ability to interject a compelling lyrical narrative over simple song structures is unique; his stories, like his music, are stripped down to the bone with no frills or sugar coating, just an emotive sense of honesty.

Clocking in just under fifteen minutes, The Old And The Cold is a brief collection of folk-punk tracks perched upon the integrity of Murray’s lyrics. Without reinventing the wheel, Murray is able to paint an honest lyrical portrait that makes the album a worthwhile listening experience.

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