XAVIER RUDD – Koonyum Sun
(Salt/Universal)
Folksy earth-child amps up the beat
Xavier Rudd’s parents couldn’t have been able to bear seeing his reaction to the death of a childhood pet. Every goldfi sh and kelpie would have gone ‘to the farm’. If I met Rudd, I don’t think I’d have the heart to give him bad news, either. Despite a noticeable thickening of his musical crust, with a newfound force, and a playful fl itter with darkness, he still exhibits of a joyous, gentle spirit that is nothing if not contagious. His collaboration with drum maestros Izintaba gives Koonyum Sun a more vital, upbeat energy than some of his previous, calmer releases – frenetic or hypnotic beats pierce almost every track. Recorded in Byron Bay, this is a sincere collection of personal stories and calls to action, weaved together with moving vocal harmonies, and sanguine images of our earth. While I must have looked like a pyjama-clad pelican fl apping madly on my living room floor, I couldn’t help but sway my arms and head to the hooks of tracks like Moving On and Set Me Free. In my defence, during these peppier moments, Rudd is like a folked-up Men At Work, which is nowhere near as bad as it sounds. Other tracks are quietly ethereal, with chants and harmonies as backdrops, playing off Rudd’s eclectic vocal range. A great example of this is The ReasonsWe Are Blessed, a short allusion to a love story that will break your heart, or your money back, guaranteed. More incentives to have a listen include the unhurried emotion of Bleed, and the graceful imagery contained within Fresh Green Freedom.
ANNA ANGEL
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