Reviewed by Ian Phillips.
By Tash Sultana, Lonely Lands Records 2018.
Tash Sultana is the latest hot property on the Australian music scene and Flow State is her debut album release.
It follows on from her sensational EP, Notion that topped the iTunes charts in multiple countries and achieved Gold ARIA sales for the EP and Platinum sales for the single, Jungle.
The long-awaited album has been two years in the making but it’s already received rave reviews and achieved a coveted JJJ album of the week ranking.
Tash started out busking on Melbourne streets and doing open-mic nights but within the space of a few years she has skyrocketed to sell-out, headline, tours in stadiums and festivals both here and around the globe.
This album is a tour-de-force.
Tash has written, produced, and arranged the album and performed all 15 instruments and sounds that feature on the disc from saxophone, pan flute, piano, and percussion to some really impressive guitar work.
In fact, her guitar playing is exceptional and she’s already been conferred with icon status by the Herald Sun.
“She can go head-to-toe with Hendrix, Erykah Buadu, India Arie and plenty more. She punches. She reigns.”
I hope they are not burdening her with too much weight so early in her career.
Tash is somewhat unique in the modern music business in that she deliberately set out to write an album and I commend her for her decision.
She commented that “I didn’t want to write individual songs for this. I decided to write a full-length album, one piece of music that fits together one after the other.”
She is a mesmerising performer.
She has wowed festival audiences with powerful performances at Coachella and Lollapalooza and early in August played to 6,000 loyal fans in heavy rain at RBC Echo Beach in Toronto.
Even in the downpour, she kept the electric energy alive with a killer performance that warmed the hearts of her drenched fans. You can check it out on YouTube.
This really is one of the most polished and mature debut releases I have heard in a very long time.
Tash Sultana is fantastic and is surely headed for greatness.
Starting in January 2019 she’ll be embarking on her Flow State World Tour which will begin at Pineapple Fields on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland.
