Trading the Gibson SG and sweaty dive bars for an acoustic Maton and camp chair by the fire, Watty Thompson’s debut serving of ethereal, country-tinged Australiana introduces itself like a warm hug and an invitation inside for a beer.

‘The Beauty That Surrounds Ya’ begins with little more than the cackle of a kookaburra and a simmering drone, leaving plenty of room for Watty Thompson’s impassioned bellow and immersive lyricism to cut right through you - much like the belly of a snake through sand. As you sink deeper and deeper, waves of accordion and the whine of a lap steel guitar dance around Watty’s strummed guitar and wash over you like those first few days of September sun.

Paired with a stunning, cinematic film clip that takes no issue in slapping the beauty on thick, you’ll find yourself completely engulfed. Set upon a backdrop of the finest golden beaches, rolling hills and glimmering rivers that Gadubanud Country has blessed us with, Watty Thompson greets you like a spirited tour guide, just as likely to hand you a map as they are a pint of homebrew.

‘The Beauty That Surrounds Ya’ is an entrancing invitation into the mind of Watty Thompson and a much needed dopamine hit, that possesses an unembellished tenderness that will stay with you long after the final drone of acoustic guitar twang fades out.

Go take yourself for a long walk. I’m just about to.