:: Various Artists - The Winners 2005

Various Artists

The Toyota Golden Guitar Awards have gone from strength to strength over the last few years. From a small awards show that was of interest to only the select few, it has progressed to become a nationally televised event. Recognising high profile and new comers alike, the awards have helped many shift their view of the genre from a strictly daggy affair, to seeing it as a respected art form and representative of a true Australian voice. The Winners compilation CD is a collection of songs that capture this spirit and showcase the talented men and women of Country. There are the expected few such as Kasey Chambers, Lee Kernaghan and the great Slim Dusty, but it is the little known artists that make this compilation such a gem. By little known I mean artists that mainstream enthusiasts would say, ‘who? Never heard of them’. Thankfully this CD is full of little discoveries, like the beautiful ballad Bottle Tree Lane by Brendon Walmsley, and The Flood’s patriotic anthem ‘Australian For A Broken Heart’. Now country music may never be your thing, but if you feel for a moment you would like to experience the closest thing our land has to a musical voice, then this is a very good place to start.