Beneath the Surface

The latest release from Melbourne-based Aboriginal singer-songwriter Kutcha Edwards further expands his repertoire of heartfelt songs, delivered with honesty and sincerity. A veteran performer and occasional member of indigenous supergroup The Black Arm Band, Edwards’ solo career is based around his straightforward folk-blues style.

A Mutti Mutti man (an Aboriginal group of the Kulin Nation), Edwards’ personal history is never far from the surface in his songwriting. Part of Australia’s Stolen Generation, forcibly removed from his parents as an infant, the resulting hurt and ongoing search for identity is felt on the track ‘Colourblind’. But while a deep sadness permeates much of his work, it’s often balanced by an optimism that comes from overcoming struggle and hardship – as demonstrated on ‘Roll’n’ and ‘So Little Time’. Other standout tracks include the confessional ‘I Lied’ and the gospel-tinged ‘Lordy’.

The album is co-written and produced by multi-instrumentalist Brendan Gallagher (Karma County), who was also responsible for the late Aboriginal icon Jimmy Little’s 1999 comeback album Messenger. Other guests include backing vocalists Emma Donovan and Deline Briscoe, pedal-steel guitarist Lucky Oceans, and a bevy of Sydney jazz musicians.

While Beneath the Surface doesn’t break new ground, it is a reliably strong performance from Edwards, which makes for a solid album.