I'm Listening To - Roisin

Disclaimer: This post features a pop diva with a sense of humour.

First time I heard of Roisin Murphy, I couldn't pronounce her name ("rosheen"). I learnt of it searching the CD cover book on Things to Make and Do, Moloko's third LP effort which I picked up essentially at random from Real Groovy. I had a habit in High School of if I had seen an album on the shelf 2 or 3 times and still hadn't heard much of the band, I tended to buy it to try it out. This is how I learnt of artists I went on to love, such as The Prodigy, BT and Utah Saints, none of whom really got regular radio time back then.

Anyway, Moloko's appeal for me came from a wonderfully diverse sound, potentially defined as everything from 90s dance (but nothing so shallow), pop, jazz...and yet none of the above.
Moreso, however, was the frontman, or in this case woman, in Roisin Murphy. A radiant Irish girl with undoubted sexiness coupled with a fantastic quirky nature. Everything from her deep smooth soul in Pure Pleasure Seeker to the uplifting The Time Is Now and the light-humoured Absent Minded Friends and Indigo, it appears that Roisin and Moloko could put on a show, but didn't necessarily take themselves seriously. Perfect.

I was scared when Roisin went off to do her own stuff, as I figured it wouldn't have the same all-round feel to Moloko. Ruby Blue was indeed a strange first touch, as it appears she knows how she wants something to sound musically without actually knowing how to make it sound that way. The music is sketchy at times, but her vocals pull through - Ramalama (Bang Bang) being probably the closest thing to the original band.

Having got the awkward freshman effort out the way and being able to focus on her own style, her recent release Overpowered is a fantastic success. The sound tends toward 80s electro, something both Madonna and Kylie in particular are working with these days, but Roisin's team appear to really have bridged a gap in bringing good electro synth into what is essentially a pop album.
It's not perfect, but the title track (which you may find here, along with Kris Menace and Herve remixes, courtesy of The Whore) really catches in my brain, as do the recent single You Know Me Better and other stand-out tracks on the album such as Let Me Know and Cry Baby.

I may go so far as to say I think she is possibly the sexiest woman in music - like I said earlier, she knows how to perform but its obvious she's just having fun taking the piss. The video for Overpowered is a prime example, as is this clip of her busking at the Convent Garden:
Who can resist that girlish charm, faux-sass, gold locks and pretty blue eyes? Not I.
If you don't think so, who is the sexiest woman in pop music? I need a new poll question, so suggestions are welcome.