As he sings “Keep your eye on the prize / And keep the messages alive / See the prescription for the people is the chance to keep it equal.” Rudd uses the inherently political reggae to underscore Storm Boy‘s credos. In “Keep It Simple”, Rudd reminds of those “often imprisoned by the mind and the fear of genocide / Now be it Hitler, be it ISIS, be it Taliban/Pick your crisis.” Rudd doesn’t dwell on the negative effects rather his music sketches an emboldened future. Rudd imbues both tracks with an overt political edge but avoids browbeating similar to the classic reggae style. “Keep It Simple” and “Feet on the Ground” have a distinct reggae vibe as Rudd’s vocals echo Bob Marley’s lilting elocution. Whereas Rudd uses his albums to meditate on his spiritual ideologies, he lets these two figures stand as adulated symbols of mass-produced religion. “Best That I Can” specifically mentions “holy, holy, Mother Teresa / Working her fingers to the bone in the slums of Kolkata.” Here he fails to critique Mother Teresa’s tie to colonialism and coerced conversion. Rather than seeing Jesus Christ as wrathful, Rudd contends “I believe there was a man called Jesus Christ / And in times like these he said ‘treat each other equally’.” Rudd omits admonishment of the zealots who use religion to support bigotry. In “ Times Like These“, Rudd connects his spirituality to the natural world, “I believe in the stories of the stars / And times like these, constellations carry me.” Storm Boy excludes piousness and religious fervor, however, Rudd understands holy figures unevenly. Storm Boy reiterates a definite sense of spirituality. Considering Australia has a Prime Minister, this seems like a direct reference to Trump’s incomprehension of scientific foundations while positioning himself as a hubristic climate-change denier. This track also mentions “the President says science got it wrong”. For instance “Gather the Hands” pinpoints “foolish, segregation scars deep beneath the skin / Of the black man and the white man and everyone in-between.” Meanwhile “Best That I Can” specifically problematizes the cycle of “disease multiplying from the shitty food / And pharmaceutical companies got it made”. Percival the storm boy.” Storm Boy reflects the eponymous coming-of-age film’s themes including the development of empathy for humans, animals, and the environment. Rudd contextualizes this fact by the lyrics “pelican drifting slowly looking for a feed / Like Mr. The 1976 Australian film Storm Boy inspired the title track and album. Clearly, Rudd is not a glassy-eyed idealist as using “holding on to something” demonstrates the need to continue progressing. Rudd’s vocal harmonies and instrumentation swell and personify an emotional uplift. As the lyrics change from “holding on to nothing” to “holding on to something”, the track becomes more optimistic. Rudd illustrates “ seen people holding on to nothing / Broken dreams and broken cords”. The lyrics capture the political disunity and social inequity currently suffocating goodwill. Storm Boy‘s message of hope begins with the opening track “ Walk Away“. Rudd’s musical power is his ability to call attention to these conditions. Yet this album adds to Rudd’s repertoire by showcasing his awareness of global terrorism, historical reconciliation, and racial injustice. Like his previous endeavors, Storm Boy captures the need to maintain an environmental and human kinship. Rudd’s new release, Storm Boy, explores the linkages between humans and the earth while endowing the listener with an impression of optimism. And it just came from that whole understanding when I got home.” Says Xavier during an interview “I wanted it to have that feeling of gentle flowing water”.Xavier Rudd believes in the interconnection of all earthly and celestial elements. “I wrote that (Follow The Sun) back down south (from Canada To Australia), I guess reflecting on the massive amount of stuff that’s happening, that has been happening on this ancient land for many years, a long time before our culture, and just how we don’t take any time to acknowledge that. The song is a fast-peaced yet laid-back meditation on the importance of stopping every once in a while to look around and think about where you are, what has come before and what is to come. The album’s name is particularly meaningfull as there are thirty species of Australian birds playing as backing singers.įollow the Sun is the song who placed him in the international scenario of pop-folk music, becoming the voice and the inspiration of wild spirit people, nature lovers and for all those seeking a simpler and less materialistic life. Follow the Sun is the last song Xavier Rudd recorded for the album Spirit Bird and the only track recorded in Australia (the rest of the album has been recorded in Canada).
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