Album Review: Bush Gothic - The Natural Selection Australia Songbook

30 November 2015 | 12:58 pm | Carley Hall

"A three-piece that weave magic around tales of our early settlers and their grim stories."

Bush Gothic are a fascinating three-piece that weave magic around our early settlers and their grim stories.

Singer and fiddler Jenny M Thomas, alongside her merry men, rework these sometimes joyous, often tragic retellings with triumphant results. An upbeat take on True Blue is a cracking opening. From there the leading lady and her delicate but forceful pipes echo around Botany Bay, the camps in Wild Colonial Boy and near the noose in Here's Adieu To All Judges And Juries, with swelling strings and light percussion. Some vocals are a tad patchy, like in Female Transport, but it's a small quibble for an engrossing listen.