" The EP "Tears" by Tolka (aka S. Murphy) is a sixfold collection of acoustic songs influenced by the Finnish folk scene. Sung in Murphy's laid-back, almost conversational voice, and backed with pattering drums and occasional additional instruments - violin, banjo, trumpet - the songs echo Nick Drake amongst others. Arrangements are simple, almost mournful. 'Arrested' is a fine opening track, while a Gorkys-like violin decorates the sombre 'Acid Sky'. 'Lay Down' has a really nice late-'sixties Floyd vibe to it, while the lengthier 'Wasting' is slow, almost funereal, yet absorbing, a bit like a folk Velvet Underground. 'Hei Hei Heimari' (I'm guessing that's Finnish) is a little wayward in places, but has the best vocals of the EP and the best arrangement. The title track concludes the disk in trumpet-enhanced, albeit melancholy style. A solid additon to the modern singer-songwriter canon. An album is to follow. " www.terrascope.co.uk " Six track mini album featuring Arrested, Acid sky, Lay down, Wasting, Hei Hei Heimari and Tears. Tolka is based around singer songwriter S murphy, born and raised on the northside of Dublin, hence the reference to the tolka river. The album features a truly beautiful blend of sixties and seventies folk sounds with just some touches of dirty three like ambience. There are hints of the kind of dark sombre folk of the likes of Nick Drake blended with some really lovely string and brass sounds. November 2009 " Road Records " With a heavy influence from 60's and 70's folk and rock I can see a lot of people rolling up and smoking up to a perfect soundtrack laid on by Tolka. If you’re a fan of the Velvet Underground you wont want to miss this gig. " www.npld.ie The initial sessions began in my long time friend and collaborator Chris Dolan's apartment in Dublin. We had the goal of recording an album in the two weeks I had left before I moved to Finland. It took seven months! Mostly recorded in my home studio in Helsinki, Tears features a host of guest players from various bands around Helsinki and Dublin such as producer and multi instrumentalist Jonny Tennant (The Ease, Bardoi), Sampo Kuisma (The Death of Gagarin), Jean Ramsay (The Spoonshiners), Miika Penttala and Eemeli Nikula (R.W.B.K.) to name a few. Mastered by Daniel Moloney (a DnB/Jungle hero who works under the name DEGREE) in his personal studio's in Dublin. The cover art was an original piece by Karl McCamley named "Daphne". The songs are all quite old but were never recorded. I wanted to get them down and put them out there so that I could catch up to my more recent stuff, and that people could have the choice to listen to them if they wanted. It ended up being a blood, sweat and other bodily fluids kind of thing but thats alright with me!