The Stuart Highway runs from Darwin, in the Northern Territory, via Tennant Creek and Alice Springs, to Port Augusta in South Australia and its northern starting point is the home of songwriter David Garnham, who has penned this concept album of sorts. The songs take in the geography, lifestyle and characters that populate and travel the NT section of the highway.

Calling on a number of guest singers, Garnham and band have created a kind of sonic documentary of the region, with tales of coffee days and red wine nights, truck stops, servos, pubs and on ‘Ilbilgini Agiyabarda (When the Water Goes Down)’ (feat. Stuart Joel Nuggett) the critical matter of fracking in the Beetaloo Basin. 

‘If I Never’, co-written with the mayor of Tennant Creek is a brilliant, dark and moody swamp rock tale, ‘TFC’ is sweet and swaying country rock, ‘Blue Sky Blues’ equates the highway to escaping failed love and a full choir (The Choir of Men) are utilised to great effect on the rousing sing-along ‘Beer and Nicotine’.

This is the country music of red dirt and melting bitumen, parched tongues and hardy souls. Garnham and band bring to life a part of Australia that many know little about and they do it with an alt-country palette that serves the varied songs perfectly. This isn’t a travel show, this is real life in all its poetic glory. 

CHRIS FAMILTON