Album: Xavier Rudd - White Moth
Sometimes you end up getting an album that you would never have bought, because it's not your style at all, and end up falling in love with it... Aussie man Xavier Rudd is multi-talented! He surfs, sings and plays a lot of different instruments. And of course he is a gifted songwriter. Like many surfers, he is very concerned with the environment. The links section of his website has a lot of banners from nature conservation organisations, ‘save the planet’ groups and fair trade products. His love for our planet is also reflected in the lyrics of White Moth, his latest album.
Think Ben Harper, Micheal Franti; reaggae with a hint of pop and fold. Relaxing campfire music. The tracks on White Moth reflect upon the events during and Rudd’s personal growth in the past years. The album starts off happy and up-tempo, with songs like Better People and the beautiful Choices. Halfway through the pace comes down and the lyrics are about politically incorrect issues in his country.
In an interview he says: “Over the last few years I've been gifted strong connections with some powerful old spirits from parts of this earth, and some have offered their voice and sacred knowledge of their ancestors to this album.” He’s talking about the Aboriginals, Australia’s original inhabitants, who are still mistreated. Like the powerful song Footprint, about world leaders who keep denying these kind of issues.
Verdict: White Moth is a lovely cd for the summer, but it’s one with a message. If you close your eyes, you can almost hear the campfire and the ocean. Pure bliss.