Xavier Rudd - Dark Shades of Blue

Xavier Rudd is an artist who, in recent years, has become widely known for his barefoot one-man-band approach to music. Perhaps often reduced to little more than a schtick, it's clear in the opening moments of Dark Shades of Blue that Rudd is keen to step off his own beaten track and prove that there's more to him.

With an opening track 'Black Water' clearly taking cues from Jimi Hendrix's 'Foxy Lady', Xavier sets to redefine himself from the get-go. Fear not, for his axe of choice is still the trusty Weissenborn slide guitar, albeit through more pedals and amps than usual, and the yirdaki (didgeridoo) waits only 6 seconds before it appears. Nonetheless, it's apparent that the new Xavier is one of layered, textured music that seeks to make the most of his daunting array of miscellaneous instruments.

'Black Water' leads seamlessly into title track 'Dark Shades Of Blue', a trick Rudd used previously on his To Let album. Rudd's weakness has always been his vocal abilities. His soft yet rough voice has always worked well on acoustic tracks yet has frequently been weakest on the heavier tracks. Knowing this, with such a powerful opening track there is a decided mismatch between the instrumental side. One immediately wonders whether this juxtaposition could have been averted in the studio, or whether it was a decision to downplay vocals so as to concentrate on Rudd's strengths. Either way, it stands out.

Around half the tracks have that familiar Rudd rhythm to them that has been quite prevalent in the past. Whether 'Stargaze' from White Moth, 'Generation Fade' from Food in the Belly or 'A 4th World' from Solace, there's a consistency to these tracks that seems to be seeking to replicate the live success of To Let's epic title track. It's definitely a sound that Rudd has become known for, but a certain fatigue wheres in when half the album is of this sound. The mystic ending to 'Secrets' segues perfectly from this sound into 'Guku' where Rudd continues with his ongoing indigenous theme. Perhaps for the first time in his career this sound has found its place and the vocals of NE Arnem Land's Banula Marika are as at home on this track as the guitars, drums and yirdaki.

Even Rudd's signature simplistic reggae sound has a place on the new album and has been artfully adapted to the soundscape of Dark Shades with the track 'Edge Of The Moon'. The album's pièce de résistance, 'Edge' encapsulates Rudd's entire sound perhaps more accurately than any other track to date.

Careful not to overdo the distorted, heavy sound that the album opens with, the album breaks the sound up with a slower pace many listeners will be used to. Still decidedly darker than his past work, there is nonetheless an inherent beauty in this sound. 'Shiver' opens this chapter, but it's the trademark rhythmic freedom in Rudd's voice that distracts from an otherwise beautiful track.

The acoustic darkness of 'Hope You'll Stay' lends itself perfectly to the album's theme and segues perfectly into the beautiful closing track 'Home', a more than fitting homage to its namesake. With the lyrical content, the birds that complete this song will surely move any Aussie listening, and one can only image the impact it'd have on any expats giving the album a spin.

It's the layering, previously nonexistent on Rudd's records, that immediately stands out. This is an album about composition. Layers of guitars combine with the inherent atmospheric qualities of the yirdaki and Dave Tolley on drums adds yet another dimension to the music that has been absent from Rudd's previous three studio albums.

It took Rudd three albums to perfect his previous sound with 2007's White Moth. As Rudd seeks to build on this and carve a new direction for his journey, there is no question that he finds more of himself with each successive album. Though yet to produce an album without its flaws, Rudd has broken out of his own mould and produced another strong album that seeks to match his renowned live experience. He might not be there yet, but no question he's edging closer.

Dark Shades of Blue is out August 16, 2008