Shane Howard’s latest album is a broad, sweeping opus, covering his familiar environmental and indigenous concerns. Sonically, Goanna Dreaming references electrified full-band albums like River and Time Will Tell, and especially Goanna’s reunion Spirit Returns, thanks to producer, ex-Dingo and dobro player Kerryn Tolhurst.

This is a blend of history book, travel diary, and personal and political writings, set to some great country/folk rock guitar work. Best track is the magnificent narrative song 'Clancy and Dooley', with Don McLeod recalling the events of the epic 1946 Western Australian Aboriginal Pastoral Workers’ strike, set to some driving acoustic guitars. Although a lot of these songs deal with ‘struggle and strife’ (also another song title), Howard can always lighten the mood with glimpses of hope and his delight in the beauty of our landscape, of which the Stephen Pigram co-written tune Kimberley Rain is a very fine example. 

Another winner, 'Back in Time', uses lots of melodic guitar work to tell the story of a long-absent father returning to the Western District to reconcile with his family. This is an incredible piece of work.