Crossover

A mainstay of the Australian indigenous music scene over the last 20 years, singer Emma Donovan grew up in a well-known country-gospel family and began performing herself at the age of seven. In 2000 she was a founder of female vocal trio The Stiff Gins, and in 2007 became a key member of the Aboriginal all-star ensemble The Black Arm Band. Donovan's 2004 solo album, Changes, was followed by her acclaimed 2014 collaboration with Melbourne combo The Putbacks, laying the groundwork for this latest offering, a solid soul-R&B workout fuelled by Emma's powerful fronting vocals.

Augmenting the primarily English lyrics on Crossover, the most intriguing tracks here are the two sung in native languages – ‘Yarian Mitji’, written by the late Ruby Hunter with Ngarrindjeri lyrics from South Australia, and ‘Warrell Creek Song’, a beautiful traditional Gumbaynggirr tune from Donovan's own New South Wales family, which her great-grandmother wrote lyrics for. Elsewhere ‘Mob March’ strongly addresses indigenous social-political issues, and the autobiographical ‘Pink Skirt’ recalls Donovan's childhood memories. Of the more mainstream material, ‘Don't Give Up on Me’ pumps hard and the funky ‘Leftovers’ struts like a Prince outtake. With solid backing from The Putbacks, Crossover is a major triumph.