“There's a note on my door/ We don't want you around/ And I felt the fear/ The first time that I found out…” – Story, the powerful opening statement and lead single from Dan Sultan’s self-titled latest fifth record, recounts one of this award-winning Arrernte/Gurindji singer-songwriter’s earliest memories.
Aged four, he returned to his family home in Northcote, Melbourne to discover a racist note had been left on their doorstep. Utilising his immense talent, Sultan reclaims his own narrative here (“Tell me my past and my shame isn’t real… It’s true, this story is mine”). And through transforming “something so disgusting and ugly” into a thing of beauty, Sultan has created a song for the ages.
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Sultan also self-discloses in his follow-up single, Wait In Love: a moving ballad about deciding to get sober while hoping his then-girlfriend, now-wife Bron would stick around (“Will you wait in love with somebody?/ ‘Cause you’re all I have”). Amongst all the fear and uncertainty of recent years, Dan and Bron also shared the extreme joy of welcoming two children into their world, which informed the dreamy, loved-up Fortress (feat. Julia Stone).
Aside from Stone’s trumpet playing on this latest single, Sultan and his good mate Joel Quartermain (Eskimo Joe) – also this album’s producer – played every instrumental part throughout. Another serene moment – Undreamt Shores, featuring cascading keys – washes over like a lullaby with Sultan’s vocals channelling Matt Corby. Whilst we’re on the subject of those flawless, distinctively husky pipes, prepare to be floored by Sultan’s gasp-inducing vocal leap in Rise Up.
Never fear, Sultan’s self-titled set contains some upbeat, stomping numbers as well. Ringing In My Ears, which namechecks Father John Misty, is perfect for road-trip playlists (which makes total sense since inspo for this one struck while Sultan drove through the Northern NSW hinterland with this eccentric artist’s Fear Fun record pumping through the car stezza).
One of this album’s key themes is positive transformation, which is deeply felt in Sultan’s liberation anthem, Won’t Give You That, during which he plays clapsticks. “There are some people who…it suited them when I was unwell,” Sultan details in this single’s accompanying presser. “It suited their internal narrative about themselves. I let it happen, I wasn’t well enough and I wasn’t strong enough. That’s not where I am anymore.” Built from a buoyant riff that evokes Daryl Braithwaite’s As The Days Go By, this song’s overall tone is optimistic as Sultan stands firm in his conviction: “Now you can never steal my fire.”
Touching, intimate and ultimately triumphant, Sultan sounds creatively fulfilled and excited for the future throughout his latest album. In career-best form as he prepares to embark on this new musical chapter, with clarity of vision and a renewed sense of purpose, Sultan’s time is now.
Label: Liberation Records. Release Date: 18 Aug.
