Jeff Aschmann – White Fella Man

Jeff Aschmann – White Fella Man CD Review by Chris Spencer

This new album of Jeff Aschmann was inspired by Jeff’s recent stint teaching in a remote community in NT. As well as being a teacher and busker, Aschmann is also a puppeteer whose shows feature native Australian animals. He has won several country music awards, but on this album, his country influences are not overt, with most of the songs crossing several genres. This is his fourth CD and shows his continued good songwriting talents. The title track is written in an “aboriginal” style featuring clap sticks, guitar solo and a singalong male backing chorus describing some of his experiences living in the Northern Territory. “Numbulwar Time” has a calypso beat and “Just another Day in Arnhem Land” completes a trilogy of songs about life in the Territory. “Sense of Belonging” discusses the dilemmas facing aborigines as they contemplate whether to forgo their traditions to move into a Western lifestyle. “Hope it’s Gonna Rain Today” is about drought; “The Deua River Dance” is a ountry waltz, while “The Woman off the Land” relates the difficulties of staying on farms during hard times. It features the vocals of Leanda O’Brien that give the song a lift. It has a strong melody which is in contrast to the song’s subject material! “Save Australia” extols the need to protect Australia’s environment while “The Fish Song” is a folk song with an environmental message, concerning the health of marine ecosystems. While the music content is good, it’s a pity there wasn’t more – this CD has only about 30 minutes of music. However, this whets my appetite to hear some more of Aschmann’s music in the future.