Mostly sung in Yolngu, the native tongue of remotest Elcho, Malk is all spliced through with Australian sunshine. Opening with an uplifting ska spiritual, it’s a call to prayer from an earthly island home. The inner vision of blind singer, Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu and co-crooner Manuel Dhurrkay rings out against lovely, complex melodies. In songs of hope, both deep and beautiful, they seem to suggest that earthly life is just a portal to a longed-for but not forgotten paradise. Among plaintive ballad laments, danceable, fast-paced instrumentals stir the soul, and deliver something profound clothed in optimistic reggae pop. A rare and delightful surprise.
