Creation

When assessing contemporary Aboriginal music in Australia, it's impossible to overstate the importance of singer-songwriter Archie Roach. The tragedies and triumphs of his personal journey have been well documented (see Beginner's Guide in #99) – a victim of the ‘Stolen Generation,’ Roach was forcibly removed from his family as a child, he spent painful time in foster homes, institutions and homeless on the street. Recognised as a clarion among indigenous voices, Roach's insightful creativity and musical partnership with his wife Ruby Hunter was inspiring. Following her untimely death in 2010, Roach experienced serious health issues, but his moving voice remained strong, and his 2012 album Into the Bloodstream (reviewed in #89) was a surprisingly optimistic folk-meets-gospel treatise of joyful salvation.

This handsome re-packaging of Roach's first four albums provides an impressive retrospective of his early career, confirming why his poignant contributions were so essential. The award-winning 1990 debut Charcoal Road included his heartbreaking signature tune ‘Took the Children Away’, and 1993's follow-up Jamu Dreaming solidified Roach's trademark tremulous tenor within an ambient environment provided by producer David Bridie. His 1997 release Looking for Butter Boy (Roach's childhood nickname) further widened his storytelling palette, while 2002's Sensual Being went in new bluesy directions, but still stayed beautifully gentle.

With 14 additional unreleased tracks, demos, live recordings and insightful liner notes included, Creation reminds us of the honesty, dignity and remarkable talent that originally attracted us to Roach's music.