Neil Murray's third album

Dust
Neil Murray
ABC Music
Reviewed by Iggy Kim

Neil Murray is not the most prolific recording artist. On top of the gruelling doorknock for willing recording companies, I suspect he's also someone who likes to put himself entirely into a new offering, because when he does re-emerge it's truly worth the wait.

Nearly three years after the release of his second album, These Hands, Murray has crafted another moving array of moods and tales in Dust.

Much more spiritual, this latest recording in part further develops a country-soul style. While earthy acoustic accompaniments provide an immediate aura for Murray's soulful, at times haunting, vocals, they are arranged into subtle syncopated rhythms that provide a highly original mix. This really takes hold in "Give This Day" and "This Bliss". Add to this style the stirring talents of Christine Anu and Jim Moginie (collaborators from These Hands), Archie Roach, Tiddas' Sally Dastey and Amy Saunders, and there emerges a brand of folk that would defy such a label.

Dust travels over a diverse emotional and political terrain. "Tjapwurrung Country" is the anthem of Murray's return home to western Victoria, where he wrote the songs for this album. "Menindee" is a cheeky mockery of Burke and Wills, supposed heroes who were really quite idiotic. One of my favourites, "Melbourne Town", is a moving and melancholic defence of the riches and beauty of Melbourne.

Throughout, Murray sees life with laughter, love and tears. He comes from that contemporary school of urbane working-class balladeers such as Kev Carmody, Archie Roach, Paul Kelly and Tiddas. They all render a quintessentially Australian sound, but one that is neither self-conscious or garishly obsessed with sounding "true blue". The key is that Neil Murray and his contemporaries are genuine songwriters, not simply entertainers.

From GLW issue 241