In his native Australia, Roger Knox is known as the Koori King of Country or Black Elvis. Black being a casual reference to his Aborigine heritage. In Australia, country music has provided a common ground for the white and Aborigine communities, and developed culturally in much the same way as folk music has in America. Knox’s latest offering, Stranger In My Land features songs written by Aborigine artists, some of which are previously unrecorded folk songs collected in the field like Alan Lomax. The variety of subject matter is similar to a comparable collection American folk protest artists and country music outlaws. The leadoff track, “The Land Where The Crow Flies Backwards” is about land claims and indigenous rights and has a country rock sound reminiscent of Bobby Bare in late ‘70s. On a Canadian tour of jails, Knox was “shocked” see First Nations being affected by the same issues, and with the same results. His backing band The Pine Valley Cosmonauts is a loose collective anchored by Canada’s The Sadies. In addition to ensuring the survival of traditional folk songs, Stranger In My Land, also features what is likely Charlie Louvin’s last recording. (Bloodshot Records, bloodshotrecords.com) Broose Tulloch