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Written in the wake of international touring on the back of last year’s album, Motives is a dark volley of hard-riffing outbursts from Sydney rockers Raising Ravens.
With Jess “Ravens” Finlayson at its heart, the trio tear right into Bright Side with a furious descending riff and a smouldering rage that belies the song title. Nails pushes in a Gothic direction, multi-tracked vocals to the fore, Rexy’s thick bass line accents and a crackling solo for good measure. Then the punkier Blame Shame Inc. comes in, driven by spite and big cracking beats from Downgirl drummer Skarlett Saramore.
So far it’s been all foot-down angsty rock like L7 gone Goth, but Raising Ravens has a darker hand still to play in the shape of Jealousies, all haunting minor-key balladic gloom before Love and Other Injuries closes out with bass-driven stoner rock to wrap things up on an uplifting note.
Motives might make even the previous Leaving With the Halflight seem sunny by comparison with its exploration of dark emotions, but it goes hard and devotees of riffy rock will love it.
