Words by Johnny Images courtesy of Jaz Saunders
Jess Finlayson may not be so well known in the UK as they she is in her home country of Australia, but whenever she plays, the crowd here have an affection for her and her musical talent, along with the rest of the band as a whole. The first time I saw her play was with the band The Mis -Made a number of years ago, firstly in Liverpool and then at Rebellion before the pandemic. With energy and musical talent not rivalled by many, Jess always puts on a great set. As I have said, musically excellent, with a honed vocal over the years, she has the air of a prolific artist, completely at ease with her craft, which shows in bountiful amounts through her music.
Not what I would call punk in its truest form, but a more deep, soulful rock sound, reminiscent of some early Black Sabbath ballads, but beefed up a tad to incorporate good ol rock music. Going back to the vocals, her key changes and vocal ranges are some of the best I have heard, melodic tuneful lyrics one minute, searing heavy rock the next. This can be heard clearly on the track “Jealousies”.
Based in Sydney, Australia, they are described as hard rockers, formed in 2020, Jess has created her own label, making it an almost completely DIY project. This ep was released on May 10th with rave reviews, the track “Bright Side” has been released as a single, with a mini tour in their home country. @Suzanne Rex (MI-Made) on bass and Skarlett Saramore on drums. After this mini tour, Jess will be setting off for European dates along with playing at Rebellion in August.
This EP is written from a personal viewpoint, outlining negative experiences, not only on a personal level, but a wider societal issue, giving the writers a window to purge the negativity of modern life, including the abuse of power, and the effects that abuse on people. Jess has worked alongside producer Lachlan Mitchell, and together have both national and international tours coming up, with the potential of a 2nd album in the not-so-distant future.
Bright Side: A track which can be deciphered in different ways, to me its about the consequences we cause when a relationship breaks up and becomes vitriolic. The taste of joy and love turning to ashes, no longer enjoying the ride, but one day down the line getting in touch for a shoulder to cry on. Opening this tune with perfectly timed drums and lead guitar (Iommi influences here), with heavy and deep bass line. A slow ish, dark and moody track.
Nails: Following on from Bright Side, the realisation that someone isn’t needed to be happy “in this world”. Possibly relating to an abusive relationship, where the abuse becomes the norm, and suddenly a switch is flicked where we no longer have to put up with negative feelings and constraint, the final nail in the coffin. Heavy drum and guitar throughout, with cascading riffs and chords.
Blame Shame Inc: Heavy, fast guitar and drum work leads us into the shame some feel in a bad relationship, taking the blame for others action, the ultimate description of controlling and coercive behaviour, where the victim is made to feel they are the one at fault, when all along the other is clearly accountable
Jealousies: A slower, more melodic acoustic piece, showing Jess’s incredible vocal abilities. Bordering on a gothy baroques feel, ya can almost hear the guitar parts being played by harpsichord, a strange yet almost hypnotic rendition of reverse love song. My fave track on the EP.
Love and other Injuries: Opening guitar riffs harks back to what some might see as prog rock riffs and string manipulation. Massive drum and bass backline gives this instrumental track a dark, moody melancholic feel. A track you wanna listen to over and over again, feet tapping and air guitar playing in the dark. Deep Purple vibes whisking us back in time.
So, there ya go, only 5 tracks to ponder, but 5 that stand out, with obvious talent and skill bringing us old school rock music. A cracking EP, and gives us taste, I hope, of more to come.
Music production and engineering by Lachlan Mitchell
Mastering by Steve Smart
Cover art by Michael Branagh
Graphic design by Jaz Saunders
Publicity by Reservoir PR +mgmt.
Label-Interloper Records
Links:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RaisingRavens
Bandcamp: https://interloperrecords.bandcamp.com/album/motives
Web: https://www.raisingravens.com
Email: jessnitocris11@live.com.au