Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu feels like such a fixture of the Australian music scene that it’s hard to believe his debut self-titled album Gurrumul only came out in 2008. That record quickly went triple-platinum and catapulted its maker’s reputation, shored up with a second release, Rrakala, in 2011, performed in a mixture of his native Yolgnu and English.
Now he’s back with his third studio record, The Gospel Album, released on 31 July. It was inspired by Gurrumul’s mother and aunts, who raised him on the songs of the local Methodist church on Elcho Island, north-east Arnhem Land where he grew up.
Produced by Gurrumul’s long-time collaborator, Skinnyfish’s Michael Hohnen, this collection of 12 songs re-imagines those missionary spirituals in a style that could only come from the remotest corner of the Northern Territory. Gurrumul has been off wowing US audiences in New York, California and New Orleans, where Quincy Jones praised “one of the most unusual and emotional and musical voices I’ve ever heard”.
He’s in Sydney to play the Enmore theatre on Wednesday night – with further Australian tour dates to be announced – so take a listen to The Gospel Album using the player below and let us know your thoughts in the comments section.
- This album stream ended on 31 July 2015. Gurrumul: The Gospel Album is released on Skinnyfish Music/MGM.
