I was taking a sauna with my dad earlier today and got to chatting about some of his favorite bands from the 80’s. He mentioned Midnight Oil as one of those bands that sort of flew under the radar commercially in Minnesota at the time but one that he always connected with on both a musical and messaging level. Midnight Oil was an Australian band through and through, super popular in their home country, and their 1987 album Diesel And Dust was written following a pretty illuminating period for the band. The entire album was inspired by the band’s experiences touring remote Indigenous communities in Australia as part of the “Blackfella/Whitefella” tour the year prior. The album addresses issues of Aboriginal land rights, environmental destruction, and social injustice, reflecting the band’s strong political activism. And the lead single “Beds Are Burning” (which is immediately recognizable once you hear it) became an international hit which brought global attention to the plight of Australia’s Indigenous population across the entire globe. The entire album is this wonderfully 80’s sound that blends alternative rock with elements of post-punk and pub rock, characterized by driving rhythms, shimmery melodic guitar work, and an omnipresent bounce in each song which immediately grabs you and almost forces you to bop your head back and forth. It’s a fun one that sounds as if the B-52’s teamed up with Sting and The Police to write an alternative rock album. Great rec here by pops.
Standout Songs: “Beds Are Burning”, “Sometimes”, “Dreamworld”, “Bullroarer”
