Jeanette Wormald – Opal Blue

A superb collection of 10 songs plus the bonus track “If This Isn’t Country”. Described by industry as “stunning”, “sensational” and “a gem of an album”.
TN680-74 $25.00
Jeanette Wormald – Opal Blue by John Williams
This is a great CD to listen to. It tells some wonderful stories of our land. The singing of Jeanette Wormald is a feature. She has a strong voice which is a delight to listen to. The CD was a finalist in the 2007 Tamworth Golden Guitar Awards which gives you an idea of it’s quality. The poignant tale of the “Boundary Rider’s Daughter” is a beautiful track. It details the perils of a woman in our past and yet has a happy ending. “Maralinga Dawn” is a powerful track about what was done to the Dreamtime lands of the Anangu people with nuclear testing and yet finishes with hope as the people have some of the land back and new generations are beginning to grow on it. “Eyes of a Child” will make you think about what is really important in life. Jeanette’s voice carries this tune beautifully. “Horizons and Heartlands” details the damage we have done to our environment in the past two hundred years and offers hope for the future as we now have the knowledge to make things right. Do we have the will? The title track “Opal Blue” is a terrific song about a bloke who moves away from his small country town to make his way in the world. It’s now ten years down the track but he’s realising he is missing his girl with her eyes of “Opal Blue”. Hope he wakes up to himself some time soon. “Pukulpa Days” is a catchy tune about happy times spent with the Pitjanjatjara people of Central Australia. Pukulpa means ‘to be happy’. “Out Here” is a duet with Peter Pratt. It is love song and very pleasant to listen to. “Dirt in His Hands” is both a tribute to generations of farmers past and a poignant reminder of what our modern high tech farmers may have lost. I guess the sentiments could apply to almost any occupation. “It’s Going to Rain” was my favorite track on the CD. It has a rollicking sound and I defy you to listen and not have your feet tapping. I hope Jeanette is right because we could sure do with it right now where I come from. “Let’s Go Fishing” evoked wonderful memories of my caravan trip up the West Coast in 2006. Any song that can do that is worth its weight in gold. “If This Isn’t Country” is the final track and is Jeanette’s tribute to where she lives. This CD has a country/folk feel to it. Jeanette writes all her own lyrics (with Peter Pratt on two tracks) and tells great stories about our land and people. Her singing is superb throughout. I really enjoyed it and I can highly recommend this CD.

About the artist: Jeanette Wormald’s voice resonates with the essence of Australia. Together with two of SA’s leading acoustic musicians she presents original songs in a diversity of musical styles from lyrical country folk to jazz and blues, all inspired by the Australian landscape.