A collection of Australian birdsongs has hit number five on the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) charts, overtaking classic Christmas heavyweights such as Michael Buble and Mariah Carey.
The album titled Songs of Disappearance features the voices of 53 different endangered Australian birds. It can be purchased digitally for $9.99 or on a CD (for the purposes of gifting to your grandma who probably still has a CD player) for $12.
The album features classic tunes that we definitely all know and love such as ‘Gang-gang Cockatoo’, ‘Kangaroo Island Brown Thornbill’, ‘Flinders Ranges Thick-billed Grasswren’ and my personal favourite ‘Scrubtit’ which is a cute af little birdy that lives in Tassie. I expect to hear these played at every summer music festival across the country or else I’ll be writing a stern email to the organisers.
Making it anywhere near the top of the albums list is a huge achievement, considering the ARIA chart currently features an absolutely star-studded lineup. The top five albums list includes Adele, Ed Sheeran, Paul Kelly, Taylor Swift and now, our winged mates from the animal kingdom.
Anthony Albrecht is a PhD student at Charles Darwin University and co-founder of The Bowerbird Collective, the team responsible of this musical feast for our ears. He spoke to the ABC about how thrilling it was to produce a charting album in what might be the sweetest, most nerdy quote I’ve ever included in an article.
“It’s absolutely incredible to have knocked Michael Buble, Mariah Carey and a whole bunch of other really famous artists out of the [top five],” he said.
“In some ways, it’s not surprising, because I believe Australians generally are so much more attuned now to the environmental crisis that we’re all facing — and that the unique and incredible species that also call Australia home are facing.”
Did you read that? It’s “not surprising”.
I love how he had so much belief in the musical potential of these native birdies that he is not even the slightest bit shocked that this album charted. Alvin and the Chipmunks vibes anyone?
The news has gone global with American news networks CNN and CBS both covering this wholesome story.
If you haven’t bought a Christmas gift for your relatives, this album probably beats getting them socks for the 29458th time. The proceeds from album sales will be donated to BirdLife Australia’s conservation programs.
