Search - Lee Kernaghan :: New Bush

FANTASTIC - A MUST!!!

Marguerite Van Ness | Illinois, USA | 06/19/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Lee Kernaghan has been the heir apparent to the throne of Australian country music before the legendary Slim Dusty passed away. Before Slim's passing the torch was handed to Lee. With this new CD, Lee has certainly emerged as the new King. Brilliant is the only way to describe "The New Bush", Kernaghan's eighth CD, and once again the King of the Bush provides a superb collection of songs that reflect on the past, present and future.



It's been four years since the release of "Electric Rodeo" but well worth the wait. This CD has been a labor of love for Lee and the songs are a little more personal in nature than in previous releases. How can you go wrong with the holy trinity of Australia's best songwriters - Lee Kernaghan, Colin Buchanan and Garth Porter? With this CD, they have created more magic for Lee with his incredible songs and Lee's equally magical rich but soft and sexy baritone that lulls the listener into a high-energy euphoric state as only LK can do. He's a joy to listen to. LK's presence is one of the most positive and uplifting ones in country music today. This is a CD easy to become addicted to. The more you listen, the more you love each cut and the more you appreciate Lee's enormous talent.



In 14 years, since "Boys from the Bush" was released, Lee has become an Australian country music icon and legend. Well deserved for the dedication, energy and quality he puts into each and every song, and the way he is dedicated to each and every fan. And true to form, every song is a winner. Lee has revolutionized Australian country music and raised the standard to a very high level.



"The New Bush" theme examines a `quiet revolution' of changes in the Australian bush. New technology and a rekindled spirit of those who live in this land of drought, hardship and isolation. Lee is a meticulous songwriter and master of his craft. In this CD, you hear a kindness and gentleness in his voice and beautiful lyrics in his ballads but a cheeky sense of humor in songs like "Love Shack", a rocker about putting a mattress in the back of the truck and heading off without a care or a destination.



Lee's writing has matured and shifted gears since "Electric Rodeo". While many of the songs have a more slickly produced Nashville element, the music is identifiably Kernaghan. After listening to this CD non-stop for days on end, you become addicted to Lee's magic and he puts you on a natural high, to which his huge and extremely loyal fan base around the world can attest. Lee is a masterful lyricist, if not the best in all of country music today.



"Where I Come From", the first cut, is a rousing, high-energy song that looks past the gravel driveway and dirt road that leads into town and the feeling of coming home again to the family name that hangs on the gate of the family homestead.



"Listen to the Radio" is an easy ballad that reminisces about a lost love and a breakup and listening to those old familiar songs on the radio while driving down the highway. It was inspired by Lee breaking up with an old girlfriend.



The title song, "The New Bush", is a rocker about the subtle changes occurring in the bush but also describes strong family ties. Daryl Braithwaite from the pop group Sherbert (same group with whom Lee's producer Garth Porter played) does the harmonies. The toe-tapping melody will put a smile on your face.



A third duet with Trisha Yearwood, "Diamantina Dream", is a luscious and sensual ballad that aims to please. The Diamantina is a desert river that winds its way through Queensland.



"Western World" is another great song with a lot of energy that compares the wide expanses of the western landscape with that of a woman ... the rain, the wildflowers and the endless plains where lovers meet in each other's western world beneath a starry summer sky. This song is becoming another favorite.



"I'll Remember You" is another beautiful love ballad inspired by the Elizabeth Barrett Browning sonnet "How do I Love Thee". It's somewhat autobiographical in nature and traces a long-time relationship.



"Like Angels" has the same basic theme as "Electric Rodeo" that's about the ups and downs in life ... sometimes you win and sometimes you lose in chasing your dreams. Because Lee is a huge football fan, I think you can hear that in this song.



"Little Men" is a sweet song about Lee's two little boys, Rock and Jet (ages 3 and 5). They're daddy's little boys sharing in the workload wanting to be like their dad and working up a sweat doing the chores. The harmonies in this song are provided by Lee's wife, Robby. This is a personal song for Lee. Any parent with small children will enjoy this sentimental ballad. You can hear the tenderness in his voice wanting to preserve the moment before the boys grow up.



While there are some beautiful ballads, Lee also like to rock. "On the Beach" is a kick back and relax song with a reggae beat. Watching the girls on the beach and having a rum as the sun goes down. This song is a diversion from anything Lee has previously recorded. It only exemplifies his versatility.



"Country Comes to Town" is about that legendary country crowd and hanging out on a weekend going into the city for a good time.



"Living in Australia" is Lee's celebration of the land he loves, the simple values and mateships.



The highlight of this CD is "Close as a Whisper", the last track. It's more of an anthem than a song. It's well worth the wait of listening to a variety of great songs to get to this very special last one. It's a simple and repetitive folk tune with extremely powerful words that describe the `whisper'. The song starts softly and builds to a crescendo throughout the thought-provoking verses to the culmination of the Australian anthem of "Who'll Come a Waltzing Matilda with Me", which is the `gift'. This is one of the best songs Lee has ever written. It will put a tear in your eye. You can hear him well up with Aussie pride and that's what this CD is all about.



As usual, the mix between up tempo songs and ballads is perfect. And as Lee has stated, he wants to keep his Australian identity and culture in his songs and you can hear a lot more of his Aussie accent in this group of songs. It's an amazingly wonderful CD that I highly recommend to every country fan. If you're not familiar with Lee Kernaghan, this is a perfect CD for an introduction to one of the most exciting country entertainers today.



If Lee were to release this CD in the United States, he'd not only win a lot of fans, but have a matching set of CMA awards to match all the Golden Guitars he's won over the years ... and he will undoubtedly win many more awards for this CD. It's a brilliant and beautiful CD. Those of us who have been lucky enough to have found LK's music cherish every song.

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