JIMBLAH – PHOENIX

Hailing from the Larrakia Nation in the Northern Territory, Jimblah is making noise as an Australian hip hop force of nature.

The beats on his second album Phoenix are simple with Indigenous instrumental accents and push Jimblah’s vocal ability to the forefront.

Rising from the ashes is a common lyrical theme, as well as local issues like refugees and national pride. An interesting and touching recording titled Lovebirds doesn’t feature Jimblah at all but is powerful to listen to and marks a musical change in the rest of the album.

Phoenix sees Jimblah fly high while firmly attached to his roots. An original and innovative album. (LL)

***1/2