RICHARD WALTERS has released his stately sixth new album: ‘Murmurate’.
His first solo record for over three years, it comprises thirteen brand new tracks including a tender tribute to the late Hollywood star Philip Seymour Hoffman – available to hear now.
STREAM ‘MURMURATE’ IN FULL HERE || LISTEN TO “PHILIP SEYMOUR HOFFMAN” HERE
Often playing eccentrics, underdogs, and misfits, Philip Seymour Hoffman is perhaps best known for his distinctive roles in cult classics like The Big Lebowski, Almost Famous, and Boogie Nights. Tragically passing away in 2014, Richard Walters holds a candle to his immortal legacy with an elegant and elegiac track written in tribute to the actor. Simply titled “Philip Seymour Hoffman”, Walters says of the song:
“Philip Seymour Hoffman was a huge hero of mine and I was heartbroken when he died…this is me imagining his final moments, the slipping away and weird things one might imagine as the lights go out (‘I’m thinking of a hotel before..’) Quite dreamlike and surreal. Who could ever play him better than he played himself? Nobody can fill those shoes.”
“Philip Seymour Hoffman” features alongside the previous singles “After Midnight”, “Anchor”, “Move On”, and “Lost In Your Light”; all of which are available to hear on ‘Murmurate’, the new Richard Walters album, released today on Nettwerk label.
While the prolific Oxford artist has busied himself with releases with LYR (alongside Simon Armitage and Patrick Pearson) and Sun Lo (with ATTLAS) in recent months, ‘Murmurate’ marks his first truly solo release since 2020’s ‘Golden Veins’. An album about our human need for real-world relationships and the importance of meaningful connections with those closest to us, its a collection of songs that graciously shift through nocturnal piano ballads, sprightly folk/pop poetry, darkly lilting lullabies, to longing, love-lorn duets such as “Lost In Your Light” (with Lydia Oliver).
Citing the spacious dream-pop of Beach House, the aching elegance of Phosphorescent, and the accomplished storytelling of John Martyn as influences; the resultant album combines unassumingly complex arrangements with heart-on-sleeve songs to summon something of a rare beauty.
Receiving early plaudits, Nightshift Magazine praised ‘Murmurate’ as “an album that transcends the ordinary…not just a collection of songs but a profound, introspective experience”, whereas OX Magazine enthused that “if you like music that weaves those moods together and want to luxuriate in the seasonal shifts going on around outside this is absolutely worth a listen.” ‘Murmurate’ by Richard Walters is streaming on all services now, here: https://richardwalters.ffm.to/murmurate
Following the release, Richard will be hitting the road for a limited run of UK shows, beginning next week and including an intimate homecoming show in Oxford. The dates are as follows:
RICHARD WALTERS – LIVE DATES 2023
24 Nov – BRISTOL, The Louisiana
25 Nov – OXFORD, Jericho Tavern
29 Nov – MANCHESTER, The Castle Hotel
30 Nov – LONDON, The Grace
Tickets on sale now:
https://www.richardwaltersmusic.co.uk/live