The Power of Roots
Cloher returns with her album I Am The River, The River Is Me. Though staying in touch with her rock sound, the standout qualities of her fifth album lie within her ability to target a distinct political and human complexity whilst connecting to the core message of her native roots, blending humanity, nature and politics under one body. The album encompasses that sense of oneness between man and nature held at the core of Māori beliefs.
Given the turmoil of the past four years, Cloher’s return to native tradition alongside her intense connection with nature and ancestral traditions is fitting. On the title track “I Am The River, The River Is Me,” she touches on the complicated politics of both the current world and of the past whilst emphasizing the simplicity of the present. She acknowledges the complications of humanity whilst honing in on the core simplicity of life and the oneness of being
She dives into the ever-present colonial roots of “so called Australia.” The track, “Being Human” is scattered with native chants and indigenous music strikes a deeply political tone speaking on Australian colonial history and its status as a commonwealth. Though openly critical, she understands history as a part of her and takes a nuanced point of view; tying her selfhood to her understanding of both history and tradition.
The transparency of the album shines through deeply intimate songs like “My Witch” with openly sexual lyricism and “Protest Song,” a chaotic contemplation of the meaning of protest songs and the “prophecy of opinion.” This intimacy is notable even through sound, with tracks like “He Toka-Tu-Moana” that showcase isolated acoustic strums and sung completely in native language. This transparency, though riddled with the complexities of the album echoes the overarching message, finding a nuanced sense of belonging through her honest understanding of the world around her, her connection to humanity and her connection to nature.
It is impossible to speak on this album without examining the Te Reo Māori tradition at its heart. The title, and aboriginal chant “I am the river, the river is me,” stems from the importance of the Te Awa Tupua river, a symbol of spiritual significance representing the oneness of the river and its peoples. The river resembles the Māori beliefs that there is no separation between man and nature, despite the human tendency to see earth and its people as a resource, rejecting indigenous culture. The album cover, picturing Cloher bathing in a river, and constantly incorporating Te Reo Māori language and chants distinctly echoes these themes.
Her album at its core, connects with the nature and the history of her heritage alongside indigenous musicality and language, luxuriating in the traditions and beliefs of her ancestry, whilst presenting a deeply complex yet nuanced view of humanity. All’s a glorious celebration of intrinsic belonging.
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