Emily Wurramara is a rare artist, and the follow-up to 2018’s highly acclaimed debut album Milyakburra proffers the depths of her music ability and the lengths she’ll go to deliver it. Through an exhilarating mix of blues, indie, country and folk, NARA’s guiding light is strength and honesty.
It’s not often we get a record that reflects on the most unpalatable parts of life, while simultaneously finding the beauty in it. Wurramara’s struggles with postpartum depression, alcohol and attempts on her own life are weaved through the collection, like on blues-rock standout “Midnight Blues” and the country-tinged “STFAFM” featuring Arringarri.
Wurramara once said, “You need both good and bad to truly understand peace”. And with a voice that sounds as wise as her Warnindhilyagwa ancestors, NARA does what she has always set out to do, no matter how difficult the storytelling: bring her people along for the journey.
Stream: Emily Wurramara, NARA
This review features in the September-November 2024 issue of Rolling Stone AU/NZ. If you’re eager to get your hands on it, then now is the time to sign up for a subscription.
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