Trials journeys with us through more than a decade of life, moving through childhood, displacement, racism, shame and survival.
Trials has returned home with his latest hendle. There’s no boasting, or a need to prove himself, Daniel Rankine’s place in “Australian” hip-hop has been secure; Funkoars, A.B. Original, production, songwriting for decades. Despite his storied past, hendle draws its power from the source, home and where roots are laid.
Opening with “run to the river” begins with the memory of leaving home for Wales, a bluegrass guitar aching the pains of distance before one's story can unfold. From this isolation, hendle becomes a map, a map of where our youth are forced in this world before they have the words to face it.
“6 letter word” creatively addresses the naive conversations often had around race in “Australia” and Wales. The interwoven atmosphere built over time is shown, shattering the illusion of an isolated wound. No, it is the fabric we were all forced to grow inside. “you could never hate me (like I do)” turns violence inward, a brutally intimate depiction of self-loathing, the listener is not soothed, nor redeemed, it’s just raw reality.
The ability to condense the harshness of reality as a Ngarrindjeri man in the colony, in a way that appears restrained is Trials finest display of mastery. hendle takes you through a life in someone elses shoes. It does so simply and relatably while stopping to take note of the beauty of nature, and the world around us.
The album is a powerful, lasting, reminder that endurance is something we practice everyday. Sonically varied, but emotionally locked in, hendle will undoubtedly serve as a guide to life for many generations to come. Nothing ornamental, hendle reaches the listener where they are with poise, intention and a bloody, rich and deep story.
This isn’t just another strong solo album from a legend. This is a conversation with the boy before the name, one about survival and just how on earth we ended up here.
Words by Emad Al-Hatu