Tommy Emmanuel has built a career on defying limits, but his new album Living In The Light pushes him further than ever. Recorded in just four days with producer Vance Powell, the project captures the urgency and spark of an artist still chasing discovery after more than six decades on stage. Emmanuel leans into the unknown, often landing the take after one or two passes, and the result is a collection that feels as alive as one of his legendary concerts. “I wasn’t chasing perfection with this album,” he says. “I was chasing honesty.”

That honesty spills out of every track. Opener “Young Travelers,” first written for the 2022 film The Tiger Rising, reels us in with a bright, melodic sweep that suggests both movement and wonder. “A Drowning Heart” dives into raw emotion, while “Gdansk” channels the thrill of exploring new places. Emmanuel even experiments with looping and delay on “Initiation 25,” drawing on sounds he first heard in the Australian Outback. Then there’s “Black and White to Color,” a seamless blending of rockabilly, blues, and African rhythms that underscores his global reach.

Personal touches deepen the record’s warmth. He nods to his granddaughters with “Scarlett’s World” and “Little Georgia,” while reworking songs like “Maxine,” “Ready for the Times to Get Better,” and “You Needed Me” in his own voice. By the time he closes with “Ya Gotta Do What Ya Gotta Do,” performed alongside songwriter Michael “Mad Dog” McRae, Emmanuel is in new territory again, half-speaking the lyric over a retro beat before letting the guitar loose.

It is the latest chapter in a journey that started when Emmanuel was six years old, touring rural Australia in a family band. From those early days to his celebrated collaborations with Chet Atkins, Eric Clapton, and John Denver, he has remained true to his instincts, earning accolades from NPR, The New York Times, and audiences worldwide. Even at 70, his drive to inspire is undiminished. “When young people come to my shows and have this awakening that it’s okay to be different, that the possibilities of music and self-expression are limitless, that’s what it’s all about for me.”