Richard Murray’s “Desert Wind” is out, and it’s like a cool breeze with a hint of refreshing rain coming across the arid sands of the Southwest. Obviously drawing from a wide array of experiences and influences, Murray has a folk-rock-americana-rootsy-country-alt-pop thing going on that makes his heartfelt songs impossible to ignore.

Believe me, I tried… I’ve been totally snowed under for the past few days, and  trying to work and listen at the same time. So, I kept putting “Desert Wind” on and ignoring it, until finally, I would stop working and just listen. Now, normally, I can ignore bombs, teenagers practicing heavy-metal and even the wife, but not this dude! Nope, it ain’t happenin’.

Murray’s James Taylor-like structures and Glen Campbell picking grabbed my attention first, and then the vocal and lyrics started getting me all caught up. Poignant words and deep thoughts kept jumping up and grabbing me, sucking me into another world, where the hot air was gently moved away by that gentle breeze.

Echoes of Cockburn storytelling and Randy Newman reality (yeah, that’s subjective) combine with superb musicianship, excellent emotion and fantastic production to make the whole album the coolest, most refreshing Desert Wind imaginable.

The album has enjoyed great reviews and success in the UK Songwriting Competition (Forgive Me Sera & Enlighten Me) and the Indie Music Awards (Best Alt. Country Album). In 2009 Richard also released the singles ‘On Carey Street’ and ‘I Drove Across the City’ for Play Records.