Roger Knox’s ‘Buluunarbi and The Old North Star’ represents a significant milestone in Australian music history beyond its status as a new album. Through this unique collection of original songs, the Koori King of Country delivers music that embodies real-life experiences. Knox uses his deep and mature voice to guide listeners through the places and people that have left their mark on him while allowing them to experience this connection themselves. “McMaster’s Ward” opens the album as a deeply personal reflection about Knox’s birthplace. Every note of this song serves as a silent tribute to memory. The layered sound remains gentle as strings and pedal steel evoke images of a place that resides in many people’s forgotten memories. “Black Tear Tracks” follows, slow and aching. The track portrays grief and separation while examining the maternal-child bond through intense emotional expression. Knox’s delivery gives his words a timeless reach that allows each syllable to land with gentle yet definitive impact.
“T is for Today” changes the mood slightly by introducing hope while maintaining Knox’s stable and grounded vocal performance. “Prison Wall” maintains the classic country sound through its basic structure while delivering profound themes about confinement and lost time. The track “Myall Creek” marks a powerful moment on the album by presenting a somber piece of Australian history with quiet power and clear-eyed truth. The song “Middle Camp” feels more personal like a generational letter that conveys quiet wisdom. While “Border Bridge” explores connection and survival through geographical elements and “Unity” addresses the same themes through spiritual dimensions.
Two tribute tracks close the album with “The Ballad of Dougie Young” honoring an Aboriginal musician and “Boobera Lagoon” paying respects to a sacred location. The album’s opening and closing tracks beautifully frame its entirety while reflecting the album-wide themes of pride, pain and persistence. There are no wasted words here. Knox’s singing embodies a depth that comes from years of emotional investment before gentle integration into his music. Truth forms the core of ‘Buluunarbi and The Old North Star’ beyond any pursuit of polish or perfection. And in that truth, Roger Knox offers something rare as he delivers a voice that retains awareness of its past while maintaining a clear direction for the future.
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