Aficionados of folk music and singer/songwriter material will gravitate to Australian Jason Freddi’s work. A seasoned veteran of regional band projects and possessing a daring imagination, Dreaming Australia is his first solo release and won’t be the last. His work with multi-instrumentalist and producer Isaac Barter gives the nine song collection a consistent and unified vision seldom heard from even the best collections in this vein. Much of this has to do with the conceptual framework underlying the album. It’s a rich and often rueful reflection on the state of his homeland told from multiple points of view, usually first-person, and giving equal treatment to both Aboriginal and immigrant Australian concerns.
His cultural/environmental concerns receive an evocative treatment during the album’s first song. “Water to Drink” is a layered lyrical showcase rife with physically engaging language and restrained yet illuminating poetic flourishes. Histrionics are notably absent from this release; you won’t hear any musical bluster during this or any other song. The acoustic nuances that Freddi relies on instead draw from Australian influences, without question, but likewise culls significant spillover from American blues and folk music.
“Sold Rock” will be a particular favorite for many. It has an understated theatrical bent, derived primarily from its vocals, but Freddi never trades upon empty dramatics to make an impact on the listener. His emotive voice exploits the pathos of his writing rather than sounding overwrought. “The Convict’s Lament” has an undoubtedly strong folk song pedigree reminiscent of some long-lost Childe ballad or an Appalachian blues sans banjo and mandolin. It’s steeped deep in Australia’s history as an one-time penal colony and the cross-section of musical voices he’s able to bring to bear strengthens the impact of an already powerful song.
YOU TUBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOlu-CDFXAwieyIlKV2wkWA
American influences are prevalent as well during “I Support Coal Mining”. The song’s effects are a curious mix of cumbersome and poetic as some of the descriptions are a bit wooden within the context of a song while other moments strike the heart full-on. It’s a fascinating tune, nonetheless, and full of obvious feeling. John Williamson’s “A Bushman Can’t Survive on City Lights” is a well-known track in Australia, arguably less so globally, but Freddi doesn’t treat it with kid gloves. He does a first-class job of staying close to Williamson’s vision for the song but breaks with it in key ways that carve out his own niche as an interpreter of Williamson’s material.
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“Dreaming Australia Now” is one of the most fully realized performances included on the release. He does an exemplary job of owning each minute of this track and successfully suspends disbelief for the listener, drawing us into his world one line at a time. It’s a hypnotic gem and the careful yet living, breathing performance he provides stays with you long after the final note. The sleek glide of his “Waltzing Matilda”, a classic traditional, revamps this venerable chestnut for a new age. It’s an excellent choice for the album and Freddi deserves kudos for not treating it like some ornate museum piece. It’s moments such as this and others that infuse Dreaming Australia with a rare vitality and relevance that helps make it one of 2023’s most meaningful releases.
Chadwick Easton