With its escarpments, gorges and waterfalls Arnhem Land is one of the most beautiful places on Earth.

It has also contributed much to modern Australian music, from Yothu Yindi to Gurrumul to rock/reggae band East Journey. Linking all three is the name Yunupingu. The late Mandawuy Yunupingu was the frontman of Yothu Yindi, Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu is a cousin and Rrawun Maymuru of East Journey is Mandawuy’s grandson.

East Journey’s ancestors have a great influence on their music – indeed the surviving members of Yothu Yindi play on their second album The Genesis Project – but the opening track, and first single, Bright Lights Big City, is an upbeat rock song in the mould of U2’s Beautiful Day. With some airplay it could, and should, be a massive hit. The LA-based producer Stevie Salas, who has worked with the likes of Mick Jagger and George Clinton, has given PJ White’s lead guitar a ringing, rock sheen, but the didgeridoo and mixture of English and Yolngu lyrics help lift it into the pantheon.

The second track, Mokuy (Spirit), could not be more different. It is a 47-second snippet of manikay (ceremonial song poetry), one of five short pieces interspersed with the rock songs.

Each of the short songs are beautiful in their own way, although none more so than Mokuy. The first Bonba piece has a Native American feel to it, indicating that perhaps they hired Salas, who is of Mescalero Apache heritage, for more than his rock track record.

Ngarrpiya (Octopus) is one of four songs reworked from East Journey’s 2012 debut album, Guwak. Salas has helped turn it into something akin to the heartbreaking ballads Blur’s Damon Albarn specialises in, though with a more straight-up rock guitar sound.

Song of Arnhem Land, a powerful tribute to the band’s Northern Territory homeland, has a joyous, almost ska sound, and is linked by the clapsticks-driven Bonba to Emu, the most traditional of the rock songs. The influence of Yothu Yindi’s Ben Hakalitz, Buruka Tau and Stu Kellaway is most obvious here.

The only disappointing track is Gumik, which starts with 80s hair-metal guitar and quickly moves to a generic reggae sound. Thankfully the album doesn’t end there. Bonba Part 3, again driven by clapsticks and didgeridoo, brings things to a moving close.

East Journey say they “plan to build on traditional knowledge, and on the past success of Yolngu musicians, notably close family members from Yothu Yindi and also Gurrumul”. With The Genesis Project they are well on their way to achieving that. Mandawuy Yunupingu would be proud his legacy is in such good hands.

• The Genesis Project is out now on MGM records on CD and download