Katie Noonan and Karin Schaupp "Songs of the Southern Skies"

Katie Noonan and Karin Schaupp "Songs of the Southern Skies" Photo: Supplied

Folk Jazz

Songs of the Southern Skies

Katie Noonan and Karin Schaupp (Universal Music)

Following their successful collaboration last year covering songs from the British Isles, Australia's own Katie Noonan and Karin Schaupp have turned their focus to home.

Songs of the Southern Skies is a collection of some of the most iconic works to have emerged from Australian and New Zealand songwriters over past decades.

Nick Cave's Into My Arms opens the album and is given a mesmerisingly beautiful treatment by Noonan and Schaupp.

And the rest of the offering lives up to the high standard set by the opening track.

There are well-known numbers written by Neil Finn, Tim Finn, Iva Davies, Don Walker and even Noonan herself - just to mention a few.

In addition to the Cave, Crowded House, Split Enz, Icehouse and Cold Chisel numbers, there are some gorgeous traditional songs from across the Tasman.

Noonan's voice on the album is at its outstanding best and Schaupp lives up to her reputation as one of the world's most accomplished classically trained guitarists - who also has great command of the acoustic steel-string.

There are special guests galore on this recording, including Davies, Clare Bowditch, Chris Cheney, Phil Stack and Gurrumul.

This is one very delicious album.