More about: Murmur

Murmur’s brilliant latest offering is ‘I’m the Same’, which moves seamlessly between savage cacophony, stark emotional exploration and euphoric builds. The track packs plenty into its three minutes, exploring validation and self love with characteristic eloquence.

The track opens with a brutal bass tone grooving below screaming guitars. Dropping suddenly into a stripped back verse, singer/guitarist George Mills’ voice weaves across the track with angular confidence and the kind of freewheeling vocal you’d expect of Surfa Rosa era Pixies. These moments of sonic sparseness with George’s vocal in the foreground make for a vital performance, revealing an immensely talented singer with real emotional breadth to his voice. 

‘I’m the Same’ never stays still however and as with all of Murmur’s music takes you on a journey, moving across several phases of emotional tonality. Graduating from stark internalised verses to a full throated chorus, the song moves outward into more unhinged, desperate territory, drummer Jack Looker building into an anthemic four-to-the-floor swell. George Mills describes the track as ‘a confrontation, a visceral urge to acknowledge one’s battle adhering to the pressures of society, forever feeling flawed... A realisation that the desire to become validated by strangers is jeopardising their identity and their ability to love themselves for who they truly are.’

The track also features returning producer Alex Gordon, with more production quirks emphasising Murmur’s confidence with their sonic pallet. The tone of the instruments across ‘I’m the Same’ treads an intense line between brittle trashiness and rich wall of sound and there is an exciting sense across the track of a band and producer in tune creatively. 

‘I’m the Same’ is another exciting glimpse into Murmur’s bright future. A long awaited EP this summer is something fans of alternative in its rawest form should be looking forward to.

More about: Murmur