Reviewed by Ian Phillips.
By Rob Hirst & Jay O’Shea, Sony Music 2020.
It will come as no surprise to regular readers that I’m an unabashed fan of midnight Oil and the various solo musical exploits of its members.
Rob Hirst is one of Australia’s greatest drummers and his contribution to the nation’s musical heritage places him in rare company.
In 2010 he was reunited with a daughter he didn’t know he had.
In 1974 Rob’s girlfriend became pregnant and they decided they were too young to get married so they gave the child up for adoption and went their separate ways.
The child, a girl, developed a strong interest in music from an early age but she didn’t know who her biological father was.
Eventually she ended up in Nashville with her producer/husband Mark O’Shea and by a bizarre coincidence they became friends with Oils bassist Bones Hillman.
Bones’ studio was festooned with Oils paraphernalia and Jay was confronted with the amazing facial similarities between herself and Rob.
And now they’ve combined their talents and produced their first full-length album together.
The Lost And The Found is an album about rediscovery and connection and it’s an intriguing blend of Jay’s country roots and Rob’s rock inclinations.
They are both storytellers and they love melody which means that the songs remain with you.
But of course they are rhythmic as well. How could they not be with one of our greatest drummers propelling them forward?
The combination of Jay’s wonderful voice and Rob’s fantastic drumming and electric inclinations is infectious.
And their combined voices create beautiful harmonies.
The story of reconnection and discovery that father and daughter went through is told in song and culminates in the final track on the album, There You Are, which is one of the high points of an album of highlights.
It is about their first face to face meeting and the overwhelming emotions it generated.
It also displays Rob’s genius for innovation as he ends the track with a drum solo.
A solo that brings the journey full circle but also hints at more to come.
