Peter Murphy

The Profile

English singer and songwriter, best known as the lead vocalist of Bauhaus and for a solo career spanning from the mid-1980s with albums like Love Hysteria, Deep, and Ninth. Recognized for his baritone voice and a gothic/post-punk aesthetic; briefly collaborated with Mick Karn in Dali’s Car.

Lead singer of Bauhaus; first solo album Should the World Fail to Fall Apart (1986); collaborated with Mick Karn in Dali’s Car; known for baritone vocals and goth/post-punk lineage; reviewed here for Ninth (2011) featuring tracks such as Velocity Bird, Seesaw Sway, I Spit Roses, Never Fall Out, Uneven & Brittle, Secret Silk Society, and Crème De La Crème; live performance in Bologna (2005) suffered from low vocal levels per audience account.

Three reviews sketch Murphy as Bauhaus’ baritone who carved an eclectic solo path. The 1986 debut trades post-punk severity for varied, pseudo-pop textures. A 2005 Bologna show suffers from low vocals despite a capable band. Ninth (2011) is deemed well-crafted but conformist, with a few standouts and that unmistakable voice.