AMG Review of Broken Lands

Richie Unterberger
All Music Guide

Though Indigenous had started as a group including several members of the family of frontman Mato Nanji, by the time of Broken Lands it was really just a name he was using for recordings that were essentially solo vehicles. There's still a family connection in his wife, Leah Nanji, who co-wrote the material with Mato, but Mato dominates the proceedings as guitarist, singer, and songwriter. Though Indigenous have been described and classified as a blues-rock group, in truth Broken Lands is more a set of heartland American rock that owes more to, say, Bruce Springsteen than it does to Muddy Waters. Nanji sings earnest, cleanly produced roots rock-oriented tunes in a slightly throaty voice that are anthemic, but more grimly determined in their mood than joyful. Accomplished blues-rock chops are sometimes evident in some of his guitar licks, especially on the closing number, "Wailing." While undeniably a sincere and serious effort, in all it's rather routine mainstream guitar rock, its influences from the blues and Nanji's Native American heritage fairly slight.