“I’ve
always been about songs I can connect with and stories I
feel I can tell. Doing them acoustically is the most natural
thing in the world to me cause you’re able to breathe and
feel and understand the meaning without the clutter. It’s
good for the ears and it’s good for the song.”
You
can hear Christine Anu’s full immersion in the performing
arts in that statement: a commitment to communicating the
essence of a story through the quiet power of belief. A
singer, actor and dancer of her calibre knows the core of
any piece of art lies not in its production veneer, but deep
within.
Acoustically is the most honest and direct album from this
incredibly versatile, multi-award-winning Australian artist,
a largely unembellished record of the show she presents on
stage with acoustic guitarists Simon Hosford and Scott
Griffiths.
“When
you strip away all that production, it actually makes it
easier for me,” she says. “If you think you’re bored with a
song and you’re limited to just a few instruments, sometimes
it can really help ‘cause you’re forced to be little bit
courageous, take a different path than you normally would.”
Platinum classics here include fiery acoustic versions of
Monkey and the Turtle, Wanem Time and Party, and a stunning
reaffirmation of Christine’s signature tune, Island Home.
New material includes Last To Go, a tender song dedicated to
a friend lost in Bali, and Ocean of Regret, a Neil Murray
composition originally demoed for her landmark debut
Stylin’ Up.
Perhaps most surprising is Sunshine On A Rainy Day, recast
as two songs in one with exotic Indian instrumentation.
“Simon started playing this riff and I thought ‘Omigosh,
wouldn’t it be great if I could bring in Mother’s Child
here?’ Suddenly it was like the song was reborn. That’s when
it gets really exciting, when you give a song a whole new
life.”
The
entrancing Dive was another example, Christine says. “When I
listen to this version I just go ‘Aaah, that’s how it’s
supposed to sound.’ I found co-producing really stressful,”
she laughs, “but it’s really made me trust my feelings when
I’m making decisions about certain songs.”
The
warm, intimate, live-to-tape process naturally brought out
some of Christine’s deepest passions, notably two songs by
Bob Marley: an incredibly poignant version of Redemption
Song and a climactic, full-band finale of No Woman No Cry.
“I’m
so glad we’ve recorded this album cause I only ever
envisaged acoustic performance as a live thing,” she says.
“I’m constantly aware, playing these songs live, that they
really are, in essence, beautiful songs. It’s not really a
question of how I sing them, the beauty is already in the
song.”
