★★★★
Australian singer-songwriter, guitarist and banjoist Alesa Lajana has delved into Australia’s history post-colonisation to create this diligently researched and heartfelt collection.
The CD is packaged in an insightful and aesthetically pleasing hardback booklet that places the tracks into context and provides a thought-provoking and often sobering glimpse into the past. For those listeners interested in further exploring the history, Lajana provides a detailed list of both oral history references and written sources.
The album features collaborations with artists such as the award-winning American banjoist Béla Fleck and legendary Aussie songwriter Shane Howard, and is characterised by a deftness of touch and an uncluttered musical palette that allows the lyrics to take centre stage.
One of the most moving highlights of Frontier Lullaby is the haunting instrumental ‘The Ghosts On The Sea’, which sonically captures parts of the colonisation process and features the lonely and aching sounds of the ocean, conjured by Lajana on her trusty banjo.
On Frontier Lullaby, Lajana inspires a thoughtful yet toe-tapping reaction to songs that are buoyed by both humanitarianism and melody.
Alesa Lajana’sFrontier Lullabyis an independent release available here.
