Jungal - This CrookedTrack

Thu 15th Jul, 2010 in Music Reviews

The promotion shots for Victorian raised sister-trio Jungal’s independently released new album, This Crooked Track, the ladies present as wonderfully strong and confident. You may compare their sound and style to the likes of Ani DiFranco and the John Butler Trio; with lyrics speaking to you about everything from relationships to their own activism against local environmental issues such as the controversial North South Pipeline in an attempt to inspire positive change through music, to a purely instrumental ending track.

Themes of storytelling and growing as a person can be seen throughout this album. The album has a very earthy and human feel to it with its opening track, People asking questions about an individual’s personal history, Soldier which begins with a marching beat that brings the listener into a personal tale of an individual entering into war.

Anyone who has known people who put material wealth above all else, who does not agree with the attitude will be able to relate to Nothing, a well-written song, “you sit there and you smirk but I know what you are/you wanna know what you are?/You are nothing” the writer uses examples of expensive things the character in the song buys when he cannot even spare 4 cents a day to help people in the world’s poorest countries. Worlds Between uses metaphors of seasons to portray moving on after a relationship has broken down. “Autumn leaves, yeah/They’ll soon fall/The trees, like me/Have to bear all” then “Soon enough/There will be a bud/the sun will shine/grow flowers in my back yard”.

Sadly some of the lyrics can be difficult to discern but overall, This Crooked Track is a fantastic album to listen to from a local and independent band. This is a trio of clearly very talented musicians.