After signing to the prominent Australian label, Elefant Traks (Urthboy, The Herd, Horrorshow, Jane Tyrrell) back in September of last year, the singer/emcee/producer, Jimblah, didn't release his Elefant Traks debut, Phoenix, until a year later. As you can tell, we completely missed it, but thanks to the downtime the holidays have presented us with, we have finally come to our senses and checked out the album. For those of you who are not familiar with Jimblah, we suggest you take a visit back to Horrorshow's "Own Backyard" & Urthboy's "On Your Shoulders". On each of the efforts, the raspy and distinctive vocals of Jimblah added warmth, character, and a dynamic that is unmistakable. Now transfer that understanding into what your expectations of Phoenix should be. Sharing his perspective of being an aboriginal in Australia, Jimblah derives his subject matter and introspective thoughts from a history scarred with genocide and injustice. Rather than coming across as angry and resentful, though, Jimblah uses his music to shed light on his peoples' experiences, allowing anyone with humanity left in them to understand a clouded history that can never be forgotten. Below you can find our highlights from the album, and you can head on over to iTunes to purchase Phoenix if you so choose.
Jimblah