Countryman

Considered by many to be one of Australia's most expressive indigenous voices, Pitjantjatjara singer-songwriter Frank Yamma, has never enjoyed the same public profile as performers such as Archie Roach or Gurrumul. But that could all change with the release of this extraordinary recording. Unlike his past albums, which primarily featured electrified versions of his potent songs, this time the Alice Springs-bred Yamma has opted for a raw acoustic approach, and it works wonderfully. Recorded in a bush studio in rural New South Wales, and nurtured by the seamless production of collaborators David Bridie and Tim Cole (from iconic Aussie band Not Drowning Waving), Yamma's thoughtful lyrics, delivered in both English and Pitjantjatjara, are like a dingo's howl – lonely and powerful.

Like Roach, Yamma's songs combine a deep personal sadness with a remarkable gentle beauty. While the emotive opening track, ‘She Cried’, is almost too poignant to bear, the songs in traditional language – ‘Kunka Kutcha’ and ‘Nguta Waljilpa’ – are no less touching. Some of Yamma's older tunes, notably ‘Coolibah’ and ‘Make More Spear6 (which he wrote when he was just 16) are given riveting new interpretations here. Special mention needs to be made of both Bridie's sparse, sympathetic keyboards and cellist Helen Mountfort's tender accompaniment throughout the album.

Now based in Adelaide, Yamma's songwriting has never sounded better and with Countryman he fully reveals the damaged brilliance of his soul. Evocative and occasionally heart-wrenching, the album is a plaintive cry from the Central Australian desert, and a truly moving masterpiece.