Raised By Eagles

Reviews

STACK MAGAZINE July Issue 2017 - By Jeff Jenkins

Raised By Eagles
I MUST BE SOMEWHERE
(ABC Music / Universal)

After two acclaimed indie albums, Melbourne roots rockers Raised By Eagles have signed a record deal and delivered a swaggeringly assured third album. Fronted by two fine singers and guitarists - Luke Sinclair and Nick O'Mara (with production duties handled by Nick's cousin, Melbourne guitar legend Shane O'Mara) - the sound is classic Americana: no gadgets, no studio trickery, just real musicians playing real good songs on real instruments. Sounds almost revolutionary in 2017. Get this one on vinyl and file next to Ryan Adams, Jason Isbell and The Dingoes. Yep, it's that good. 'I Must Be Somewhere': Raised By Eagles have arrived - Jeff Jenkins

★★★★ ROLLING STONE 25 MAY 2017 - By Gareth Hipwell

Raised By Eagles
I MUST BE SOMEWHERE
(ABC Music / Universal)

Melbourne alt-country stylists return with mesmerising third LP - In four years, the twin songwriting force of Luke Sinclair and Nick O’Mara has matured to a lustrous finish. Richer guitar textures proliferate here, while Sinclair’s inflection is charged with uniquely Australian pathos throughout (the title track). There’s freewheeling West Coast country-rock in “Nowhere (You Wanna Run)“, vital Seventies roots-rock in “Night Wheels”, and breathless poignancy in “Dreamer”. Lyrically, a minor theme centred on modest hopes and ambitions thwarted casts an affecting light over proceedings (“By Now”). RBE are in good company with the likes of local alt-country luminaries Halfway and Tracy McNeil - Gareth Hipwell

★★★★ THE AUSTRALIAN 24 June 2017 - By Polly Coufos

Raised By Eagles
I MUST BE SOMEWHERE
(ABC Music / Universal)

Melbourne four-piece Raised By Eagles has grown steadily by the album to a point where all components sound as if meshed in a fraternal bond. Whether the songs on their third release come from the pen of Luke Sinclair or Nick O’Mara or are a collaboration between the two, they bubble out warm, fresh and ever so touching, as though pouring from the one spring. Similarly, their voices are so alike you are not immediately aware of who is singing. This aids the unifying mood of the album, which is a 10-song study of love, loss and longing. The mostly relaxed tempos invite reflection on the part of both the writers and the listener.

In Dreamer Sinclair repeats the line “time is a stealer”, summing up the mood perfectly before O’Mara chimes in with a killer Ry Cooder-influenced slide guitar solo. Their love of Cooder can be heard at several points, the tension on the strings and the threatening oversupply of power matching perfectly the overwhelming weight of hearts heavy with tough decisions and regrets.

The title track plays like a homage to Paul Kelly, unmistakably as Australian as a Sidney Nolan painting. There is space, considered economy and details that show the singer searching for answers to questions that cannot be found this side of the sun. Their voices join soaring, wordless in an extended outro as they continue the search. The breaks come musically as they kick it up and make a handsome racket showing the muscle that is at hand, should it be required. Raised by Eagles are an energetic rock band, and using this style as a respite from the overriding melancholy plays to their strengths, while showing just how versatile they can be - Polly Coufos

★★★★ THE MUSIC 12 May 2017 - By Steve Bell

Raised By Eagles
I MUST BE SOMEWHERE
(ABC Music / Universal)

The third longplayer by Melbourne Americana exponents Raised By Eagles builds strongly on the template they've been consolidating for years now, marked by a notable step up in both songwriting and production. This progress is immediately apparent in powerful streamlined opener Shape & Line, with the album diversifying to show more strengths such as the title track's existential balladry, the '80s classic rock vibe of Night Wheels and the beautifully restrained Everyday Everyday, which sounds like a lost classic from Ryan Adams' songbook. They may be somewhere now, but they're definitely going places. - Steve Bell

★★★★ BMA MAGAZINE 13 July 2017 - By Rory McCartney

Raised By Eagles
I MUST BE SOMEWHERE
(ABC Music / Universal)

Melbourne band Raised By Eagles is bursting with creativity. The country quartet has released three long players since 2013, with the latest being I Must Be Somewhere, and achieved two wins at The Age Music Victoria Awards along the way.

The band scores well in both musicianship and songwriting skills. While just a guitar, bass and drum outfit, with no keyboard and nothing fancier than a lap steel, Raised By Eagles has crafted some beautiful tunes with intricate, catchy guitar work. Opener ‘Shape & Line’ starts with a soulful whine and a feeling of depth, with lots of spaces between the notes, before guitarists Luke Sinclair and Nick O’Mara let slip the halters and give their axes a free run. It, together with the similarly rocked-up ‘Night Wheels’, with its prominent reverb features, are album highlights.

Elsewhere, tracks take a quieter line. In ‘Every Night’, and feature track ‘Gold Rush Blues’, the words carry more weight, due to their being used with economy. The title track also uses the principal of ‘less is more’, as it flows with a casual gentleness, floating by with the high twang of the lap steel, and only gaining strength towards its close, speeding its departure. ‘Heartbreaker’ ends with a surprising softness, leaving the story in midair, and there is a similar cleverness in ‘Everyday, Everyday’, with words left hanging, as though to continue the thread of the song beyond its natural close.

Overall, there is strength in the simplicity of the lyrics, choosing just enough of the right words to get the message across. There are lots of little snapshots in the words too; easily relatable, which come together in jigsaw fashion, with a certain poetry of their own - Rory McCartney

★★★½ THE AGE / SMH 01 JUNE 2017 - By Craig Mathieson

Raised By Eagles
I MUST BE SOMEWHERE
(ABC Music / Universal)

On the title track to their third album, Melbourne alt-country quartet Raised By Eagles change the landscape of yearning. "I'm moving through the night, a broken satellite, just looking for you," sings frontman Luke Sinclair, and as the song progresses the pedal guitar is supplanted by wide, ringing notes that move the song's emotional co-ordinates. "Wish I was where you are, but I ain't no shooting star, I'll never find you," concedes Sinclair, and the sense of distance has the elegiac regret of U2 circa The Joshua Tree. Plainly the band – Sinclair, guitarist Nick O'Mara, bassist Luke Richardson, and drummer Johnny Gibson – have come a long way since appearing just four years ago. They are by no means consistent: there are times on I Must Be Somewhere, such as Heartbreaker, where they make the prosaic pretty and simply pay fitting tribute to the canon that informs them, but the best songs have the ability to transform your expectations within their running time. There's the serendipitous Every Night and the despairing Gold Rush Blues, and they transcend any genre - Craig Mathieson

★★★★ 100PERCENT ROCK MAGAZINE 18 June 2017 - By Shane Pinnegar

Raised By Eagles
I MUST BE SOMEWHERE
(ABC Music / Universal)

Clearly acolytes of The Church and The Band (which is only ever a good thing), Raised By Eagles third album is a rambling, sprawling serve of pastorally inclined Americana, built at the place where country and folk influences are just as important as rock and blues (or more), and to think: they hail not from the Appalachians, but Melbourne, Australia!

Storytelling and emotion are the prize at the end of this rainbow, Raised By Eagles’ songs are rich in human emotion, drenched with desire and dreams, and it’s hard to imagine that for a group only four years old, they are accomplished enough to not only play and write this well, but also to have taken their act to Nashville itself and won over the locals.

There’s a wistful sentiment to tracks like I Must Be Somewhere, Dreamer and Everyday, Everyday: the listener is left in no doubt that Raised By Eagles has something important to say, and there’s little doubt that wherever they are, they’ll be somewhere better yet by the time the next album comes around - Shane Pinnegar

COUNTRY UPDATE Issue 85, May 2017

Raised By Eagles
I MUST BE SOMEWHERE
(ABC Music / Universal)

Three albums deep, songwriter-vocalists Nick O’Mara and Luke Sinclair have arrived at something close to perfect. Previous outing Diamonds in the Bloodstream (2015) was a glorious show of alt. country style and poise. But with Somewhere, RBE up the ante with so many richly textured arrangements: O’Mara’s dusky ‘Every Night’ features a stunning array of sounds, including ‘a baritone electric, a 12-string electric, a 12-string acoustic…and a ghost of a resonator.’ It’s as immersive as that sounds. From stirring album opener ‘Shape & Line’ onward, Sinclair, O’Mara and band set about constructing 10 masterful compositions, each peppered with captivatingly lyrical meditations on life and love delivered with unaffected, breathless honesty and feeling (‘I Must Be Somewhere’). There’s timeless West Coast country-rock in ‘Nowhere (You Wanna Run)’, irresistible 70s indulgence in ‘Night Wheels’, and a deeply affecting soft-rock plaint in ‘Dreamer’. Like fellow Melbournians Tracy McNeil & The GoodLife, RBE prove that the local alt. country scene is apt to just keep on getting better.

RHYTHMS MAGAZINE May/June Issue 2017 - By Chris Familton

Raised By Eagles
I MUST BE SOMEWHERE
(ABC Music / Universal)

Album number three for Melbourne’s Raised By Eagles and a further refinement of their lush, wistful and yearning country rock. Ironing out some of the creases of their earlier releases has resulted in a unified sound across the songs which are mostly only a few shades either side of mid-tempo. So much of it floats by on a warm breeze that to really appreciate the nuances in the production and their playing, the volume should be turned up high.

As players they share a lightness of touch and aesthetic with the likes of Steve Gunn, Mark Knopfler and William Tyler, if a little more dusty back-roads and suburban summer nights. The pedal steel in particular is a really highlight, gently conjuring up weeping country emotions. There is also a melancholic mood that pervades the album, riding on a nostalgic, heartache vibe but more often than not wrapped up in optimism. This is another assured release from the band, one that shines brightest in its subtleties. - Chris Familton

★★★½ INDEPENDENT AUSTRALIA 3 June 2017 - By John Turnbull

Raised By Eagles
I MUST BE SOMEWHERE
(ABC Music / Universal)

Formed in Melbourne in 2013, Raised by Eagles attracted immediate attention for their combination of musicianship and songwriting chops. Their self-titled debut album was nominated for Best Country Album at the 2013 Age Music Victoria Awards and their sophomore effort Diamonds in the Bloodstream solidified their reputation as an Australian band to watch.

Opening with the upbeat Shape & Line, I Must Be Somewhere charts a distinctly Australian path through a genre popularly known as Americana. Including elements of folk, country, blues and rock, Raised by Eagles stand comfortably alongside bands like Fleet Foxes and The War on Drugs, telling universal stories that resonate no matter where you’re from. It’s this storytelling approach that really ties I Must Be Somewhere together, forming a narrative of dusty roads and broken dreams.

Led by the dual vocals of Luke Sinclair and Nick O’Mara, and supported by the accomplished rhythm section of Johnny Gibson and Luke Richardson, Raised by Eagles are a unique voice in the Australian musical landscape - John Turnbull

JOLENE: THE COUNTRY MUSIC BLOG 11 June 2017 - By Sophie Hamley

Raised By Eagles
I MUST BE SOMEWHERE
(ABC Music / Universal)

The last album from Melbourne band Raised by Eagles, Diamonds in the Bloodstream, was a cracker. Hard to follow, one might say. Well, clearly the band didn't buckle under that pressure (if they even felt it) because their newest LP, I Must Be Somewhere, is a worthy successor.

When reviewing Diamonds, I mentioned how successfully the band evokes a 1970s feeling, and that is even more pronounced on this album - in a wonderful way. The songs on this album have echoes of Mondo Rock mixed with a bit of Sherbet, with some laid back California rock sounds there too, and the country-music sensibility that informed a lot of the latter. So the album is nostalgic without being twee - and neither does it sound old. As much as these songs evoke long sun-filled days in a time before our brains became crammed with minutiae, they're also completely appropriate as a soundtrack for a walk along a busy city street as you try to sidestep the pedestrians too preoccupied looking at their phones to avoid the lamp post ahead of them. These are songs that make you want to put your head up and smile - they carry you along, riding the currents.

The standout track (for me) is title track 'I Must Be Somewhere', written by singer-guitarist Luke Sinclair. It embodies the wistfulness wrapped up in pragmatism that is a distinctive characteristic of RBE lyrics, whether written by Sinclair or Nick O'Mara, the other vocalist/guitarist in the band. It hints at loneliness but instead of making the listener feel lonely, it makes them feel heard.

This is an album that is both entertaining and meaningful, which, really, is what culture should be, because if artists can't entertain the people they're less likely to get their meaning across. Raised by Eagles are, in their marrow, entertainers - and they take that responsibility seriously. What that means it that you, as the listener, can enjoy what they produce and know it's good for you at the same time - Sophie Hamley

THE BAREFOOT REVIEW 20 June 2017 - By Luke Balzan

Raised By Eagles
I MUST BE SOMEWHERE
(ABC Music / Universal)

I have to admit, I’d not really heard of Melbourne band Raised By Eagles until this album came across my desk. Admittedly, I tend to have pretty eclectic musical tastes, varying from metal to grunge to world music to jazz and blues, but once I’d given these guys a couple of listens, it was clear that they were deserving of my attention despite being a departure from my usual musical pursuits.

The band has won many accolades and has a couple of successful albums under their belts already, with their latest offering, I Must Be Somewhere, their first on a major label. It is sure to take them to new heights.

Often described as an ‘Americana’ band - which is really just a fancy way of saying they’re a folk band (what’s wrong with that label anyway?) - after giving I Must Be Somewhere a listen, it’s clear that there’s a lot more to these guys than just being a folk band. There’s certainly some strong Americana influences here, with clean vocal melodies, smooth guitar driving things along, and an acoustic, but there’s more depth here too, with a bit of blues, elements of country, and even melodic rock. There are times I’m reminded of a modern reincarnation of Things Of Stone and Wood, or a simpler take on Dave Matthews, and even a little bit of Creedence too.

It’s all very easy on the ears, and has loads of appeal regardless of a listener’s musical prejudices. I guess that’s a testament to the talent of these guys, being able to create a sense of appeal regardless of where you’re coming from. That puts I Must Be Somewhere in a very special place indeed! - Luke Balzan

NU COUNTRY: DAVE'S DIARY 12 June 2017 - By Dave Dawson

“There's wolves in the woods when the sheep get together/ hounds in your head but now I got your measure/ nothing in the distance I don't already know/ you're only ever angry or down/ you're never easy to be around/ been too long out in the weather/ we've been trying to fix this forever and ever.” - Shape & Line - Luke Sinclair.

Yes, it's too big a temptation to avoid wolves and sheep when the band is named after the progeny of another predator.

So let's mix our metaphors when we examine the first single and entrée song from Raised By Eagles third album I Must Ne Somewhere.

Singer-songwriter guitarist Luke Sinclair rounded up kings and queens from the animal kingdom to illustrate escaping from a relationship that became more an obligation than a passion in Shape & Line.

It sets the tone for fellow songwriter Nick O'Mara's gospel flavored Every Night he describes as a meditation on deliverance and corruption with modern interpretations of good and bad.

O'Mara massages his message with a vast array of guitars, replete with steel and resonator - one of three tunes here utilizing his vocals.

Sinclair's spiritualty sprint about trying to connect in the after-life with a recently deceased soul-mate in I Must Be Somewhere is more oblique than Shotgun Willie Nelson's classic Roll Me Up And Smoke When I Die or his sardonic I Woke Up Today Still Not Dead.

But this is a younger writer whose bloodline features more football field triumphs than jogging with fellow earthlings.

This could be an appropriate time to recall how the mayor of Christchurch was left waiting in the lobby of Willie's digs on his 1981 Australasian tour for a pre-arranged mutual goodwill canter while the Red Headed Stranger chose a joint of the vegetarian variety to ease him into the south island slopes.

Yes, as tour chauffeur and chronicler, I was left to explain to the mayor that his jogging partner was receiving last minute riding instructions from a Little River Band guitarist.

But, as always, I digress but it seems a poignant prelude to another O'Mara tune Nowhere You Wanna Run that he describes as a country rock stomper that he wrote on a five string nylon guitar many moons ago in a caravan park.

O'Mara says his slide solo instrumentation was inspired by watching Ry Cooder play a “frankensteined” Stratocaster - a hybrid Fender-Hawaiian lap steel - on the band's 2015 Nashville odyssey.

The song theme, says O'Mara, is about the perils of indecision.

But not the indecision about pre-emptive strikes on homegrown terrorists here in the unlucky radio country.

EVEN EAGLES GET THE GOLD RUSH BLUES

“A handshake deal by a roulette wheel and a crooked smile/ between you and me and the deep blue sea/ they sold us out by the mile/ it's the last, the last deal gone through/ leave's you and me with the gold rush blues.” - Gold Rush Blues - Nick O'Mara.

Sinclair explores the collateral damage of time wasted on building a protective wall to protect a lover from ruptured romance only to find it crumble in Heartbreaker.

Equally soul destroying is the idealism of yearning for change but not being able to handle the reality and then boomeranging from the destination to the starting line in Night Wheels.

But there's light at the end of an eternal negativity tunnel in O'Mara-Sinclair collaboration Everyday, Everyday where dawn breaks their day with a joyous escape and liberation.

Sinclair's tune Dreamer - that he reveals is a human tragedy about ambition being conquered by fear induced by the pressures applied in trying to make it - is equally relevant to all forms of human endeavour.

That obviously has a universal appeal - it includes music, literature, sport, love and career.

Check out the hapless hombres strewn across old Hank's lost highway.

O'Mara's writing peaks in the melancholic Gold Rush Blues - a time tested testament to the wanton destruction of towns and people by greed and exploitation when the money dries up and finds liquidity in greener fields of plenty.

Just look at a map of Australia with the aftermath of the historic gold rushes in country Victoria, the modern coal and iron ore boom turning to dust in Queensland and Western Australia and, of course, the pyramid and Ponzi sellers fostered by land and city sharks.

Cynics might also see a parallel with the other Eagles - the west coast football team's crippled cousins or even the Californian musical Eagles .

Maybe there's also relevance in hit and run attacks on the heart.

But, as always, Sinclair makes the most of hindsight in the album finale By Now by revealing it's about regret and redemption and a dreamer's destruction of the beauty of simplicity.

“That song kind of freaked me out a little bit, because it's the last song we decided to put on the record, and it came up nothing like we've done before,” Sinclair revealed.

“It didn't sound like us to me, so I was pretty reluctant to give into it, but it's now one of my favourite songs on the record.”

OK that's the plot from the creative writing axis of Sinclair and O'Mara whose quartet released previous album Diamonds In The Bloodstream in 2015.

But, like a fertile feline footy team homily, it's not all Dangerfield and Selwood.

Bassist Luke Richardson and drummer Johnny Gibson give their team-mates run out of the backline with added vocals and then there's the production and coaching by Shane O'Mara at his Yikesville studio in Yarraville.

Once again tasteful tutelage ensures that every nuance and vocal is front and centre in the mix and dynamic delivery ensures the scoreboard is a salient signpost to the Eagles sonic span.

There may be no premiership flag but strong chances of rewards in annual awards - Dave Dawson

DIAMONDS IN THE BLOODSTREAM - 2015

★★★★☆ THE AGE 01 MAY 2015 – By Martin Boulton

Raised By Eagles
DIAMONDS IN THE BLOODSTREAM
(Vitamin Records)

In just a couple of years this Melbourne quartet fronted by chief songwriter Luke Sinclair have delivered two of the finest alt-country albums you’ll find in many, many miles. In the great tradition of long-established bands like Wilco, but in a fraction of the time, Raised By Eagles have woven lovingly crafted lyrics and arrangements with crisp, clean playing and sweet harmonies. Guest vocalists including Liz Stringer and Tracy McNeil add extra charm on backing duties while the warm, welcoming tone of Nick O’Mara’s lap steel will ease you back into the comfort of this 35-minute journey. Window Seat and Honey are standouts but it’s hard to pick favourites when each track gets treated with so much care. – Martin Boulton

★★★★☆ THE AUSTRALIAN 20 JUNE 2015 – By Polly Coufos

Raised By Eagles
DIAMONDS IN THE BLOODSTREAM
(Sliprail/Vitamin)

Melbourne Americana four-piece Raised by Eagles delivers a second album with its influences still very much on its sleeve, while never failing to impress with the quality and abundance of ideas. The songs’ very Australianness is one of their main foundations, The songs are filled with universal thoughts, but the lyrical detail locates them in our wide brown land. More energetic and lively than forebears such as the Triffids and the Go-Betweens, RBE uses the same sense of space and stifling heat. Gorgeous harmonies, including guest spots from Liz Stringer and Van Walker, and the ever tasteful guitar work of Nick O’Mara lift every song to being the best they can be. Moving between country and rock and at times showing off some of the confident energy of Under the Sun-era Paul Kelly & the Coloured Girls, their search for their own place makes for great listening. From the tough edge of Jackie, with twin guitars and all, to the lush, dreamy sound of Waterline, to the overwhelming sadness that leaches out of the booty call Doorstep, where the point is driven home by O’Mara’s mandolin, every one of the eight songs makes its presence felt. Many songs reference drinking in a way that suggests the years of their youth are stretching out like a long Australian summer. The characters feel just one hangover, just one big mistake away from the cold realisation that, as Jimmy Buffett once put it, they are growing older but not up. It is against that backdrop principal songwriters Luke Sinclair and O’Mara have (mostly separately) created a set of solid quality songs that take their time, but ultimately win you over play by play. - Polly Coufos

★★★★☆ THE COURIER MAIL 16 MAY 2015 - By Noel Mengel

Raised By Eagles
DIAMONDS IN THE BLOODSTREAM
(Sliprail/Vitamin)

Every band needs that one song that will grab people’s attention. Melbourne’s Raised By Eagles have that, Waterline, a haunting tune that’s as good as anything coming from fellow roots-rock travellers like Jason Isbell and Justin Townes Earle. Which is to say: top shelf. “There was a time when I could see us/As clear as day before the darkness took my mind,’’ the band’s frontman Luke Sinclair sings, as a guitar shimmers in the distance and a high, lonesome harmony drifts through. All eight tracks here are high quality, the Jayhawksian melancholy of Falling Through; the up-tempo Jackie with its fleet-fingered harmony lead guitar break; the sun-dappled acoustic tones of nostalgia of Honey. Pop stars and pop hits come and go, but this stuff will always be around, and Raised By Eagles are the next generation to carry on an Australian country-rock tradition that passes down from Country Radio, The Dingoes and The Black Sorrows. - Noel Mengel

★★★★☆ SYDNEY MORNING HERALD 14 MAY 2015 - By Sam Fell

Raised By Eagles
DIAMONDS IN THE BLOODSTREAM
(Sliprail/Vitamin)

The concept of the tricky second album is alien to Melbourne quartet Raised By Eagles. Received well, their eponymous debut heralded the arrival of something special, but their second cut transcends this and then some. A collection of tracks rooted in the alt-country vein but not afraid to stray beyond, Diamonds In The Bloodstream is a songwriter's album, lyrically robust, telling gritty tales of life raw and real. Frontman and songwriter Luke Sinclair has obviously spent a lot of time listening to Springsteen, the influence evident in the way he takes life most ordinary, and turns it into a series of dusty, sunburnt, living vignettes. The band, joined on backing vocals on a few tracks by VAN WALKER, Liz Stringer and Tracy McNeil Band, add to Sinclair's lyrics a quietly powerful edge – this album isn't for playing loud, it's for delving deeply into, for taking one's time with, and for fans of great songwriting with a country bent, it ticks all boxes - SAMUEL J. FELL

★★★★☆ THE MUSIC 16 APRIL 2015 - By Chris Familton

Raised By Eagles
DIAMONDS IN THE BLOODSTREAM
(Sliprail/Vitamin)

On their second album Raised By Eagles eschew some of the ragged country rock moves of their debut and head for classic songwriting territory with excursions into power pop and acoustic balladry. The intimate and explicitly emotional storytelling of Sugar Cane and the warm breezy sway of Honey counterpoints Window Seat’s Ryan Adams/Tom Petty serenading swagger, the infectious Days Fall and the moving tale of Jackie, complete with Thin Lizzy meets Wilco spiralling guitar riff. In carving out their own niche in the world of alt.country, Raised By Eagles continue to widen their appeal. - Chris Familton

★★★★☆ INDEPENDENT AUSTRALIA 01 JUNE 2015 - By John Turnbull

Raised By Eagles
DIAMONDS IN THE BLOODSTREAM
(Sliprail/Vitamin)

Melbourne band Raised by Eagles released their debut album back in 2013 — a self-titled effort that drew critical acclaim and received a nomination for Best Country Album at The Age Music Victoria Awards. Led by the dual vocal/guitar lead of Luke Sinclair and Nick O’Mara, supported by bassist Luke Richardson and drummer Johnny Gibson, Raised by Eagles are definitely a band to watch.

With a contemporary sound that is often shoehorned into the "alt-country" genre, Raised by Eagles have built a strong following through their blistering live shows, typified by a spectacular performance at the Out On the Weekend Festival headlined by Justin Townes Earle.

While still primarily an acoustic band, new album Diamonds in the Bloodstream reveals a grittier side of Raised by Eagles, with crunchy guitars adding layers of depth and a hint of funk to the mix. Sinclair and O’Mara’s voices complement each other well, and the rhythm section of Gibson and Richardson lay down a solid base without showing off.

With the ability to turn a phrase reminiscent of Paul Kelly, Raised by Eagles represent an exciting future for Australian music. If you’re a fan of bands like Whiskeytown or early Bruce Springsteen, I highly recommend checking out Diamonds in the Bloodstream. — get on board now for an Australian band on the rise - John Turnbull

Raised By Eagles aren’t new kids on the block – each member of the four-piece has spent years honing their craft playing in noisy pubs and clubs around Melbourne’s CBD – and this experience shows up in spades on the eight exquisitely crafted tracks that make up their second LP, Diamonds In The Bloodstream.

‘Falling Through’ sets the pace and tone of the record. While you could be forgiven for thinking that you’d unearthed a long-lost Dire Straits recording upon listening to the first few bars, lead vocalist Luke Sinclair’s distinctive style kicks in towards the chorus and commands your attention – and manages to hold it for the album’s entirety. Throughout, Sinclair’s natural talent for storytelling is once again on display.

‘Jackie’ captures a moment in time when innocence is lost and love leads to heartache. The mood takes a haunting turn on ‘Waterlines’ thanks to the dual songwriting efforts of Sinclair and lead guitarist Nick O’Mara, before country-funk riffs on ‘Days Fall’ drive the album to its comfortable conclusion.

Diamonds In The Bloodstream showcases Raised By Eagles at their raw and gritty best. Less harmonica than before, but way more heart.

- See more at: http://www.thebrag.com/music/raised-eagles-diamonds-bloodstream#sthash.pRbPNDm2.dpuf

★★★1/2 THE BRAG MAY 2015 - By Natalie Rogers

Raised By Eagles
DIAMONDS IN THE BLOODSTREAM
(Sliprail/Vitamin)

Raised By Eagles aren’t new kids on the block – each member of the four-piece has spent years honing their craft playing in noisy pubs and clubs around Melbourne’s CBD – and this experience shows up in spades on the eight exquisitely crafted tracks that make up their second LP, Diamonds In The Bloodstream. ‘Falling Through’ sets the pace and tone of the record. While you could be forgiven for thinking that you’d unearthed a long-lost Dire Straits recording upon listening to the first few bars, lead vocalist Luke Sinclair’s distinctive style kicks in towards the chorus and commands your attention – and manages to hold it for the album’s entirety. Throughout, Sinclair’s natural talent for storytelling is once again on display. ‘Jackie’ captures a moment in time when innocence is lost and love leads to heartache. The mood takes a haunting turn on ‘Waterline’ thanks to the dual songwriting efforts of Sinclair and lead guitarist Nick O’Mara, before country-funk riffs on ‘Days Fall’ drive the album to its comfortable conclusion. Diamonds In The Bloodstream showcases Raised By Eagles at their raw and gritty best. Less harmonica than before, but way more heart. - Natalie Rogers

★★★★☆ RENOWNED FOR SOUND MAY 2015 - By Thomas Podbury

Raised By Eagles
DIAMONDS IN THE BLOODSTREAM

Diamonds in the Bloodstream is the sophomore album for the Melburnian alternative country four-piece, Raised by Eagles. This album is the album for those people who honestly try and get into country music but listen to the likes of Carrie Underwood and Keith Urban and go, “I don’t get it”. This is raw, no-nonsense, country tinged folk music. Its the kind of music to listen to when driving through the country or remembering a rural home with a congregated iron roof and a rusty tractor.

he majority of tracks on the album are richly painted narratives. They present the listener with extravagant landscapes, beautifully constructed, both lyrically and musically. These songwriters know how to create a rural sound, despite coming from the urban North Melbourne. The lead singer presents us with numerous lines that stay with us after listening to the album. The last track, Day Fall, presents us with a beautiful simile, “Days fall away like dying leaves. You get a little time in the sun, then you’re riding the breeze”. The character study, Jackie, brings back a romantic figure from youth, “Jackie was a tough kid, she got up when the moon did”.

The vocals are reminiscent of Bob Dylan’ vocals on Nashville Skyline. They have a sense of authenticity that may not be technically perfect, but nonetheless maintain a kind of beat swagger. The instruments consist mostly of acoustic guitars, bass, drum kits, electric guitars, classic country and folk slide guitars as well as harmonicas. The sound is raw. Simple instrumentation, following a simple but effective traditional country format.

Although this simple and raw format is what give Raised by Eagles a certain appeal, it sort of indicates why it might become boring to some listeners. There is a repetitiveness to a lot of the songs that appear on the album. Most of the slower songs, which constitutes six out of the eight, follow very simple verse, chorus, verse, chorus, solo, chorus formats. Someone could hear that and say “awesome, simple, no-fuss country songs”. Or they may think “I am sick of these boring country song that all sound the same”. It really depends on the listener. If you have patience this album will prove a worthwhile listen. There are some great messages in here, but the album is not going to spoon feed it to you, you have to find it.

- See more at: http://renownedforsound.com/index.php/album-review-raised-by-eagles-diamond-in-the-blood/#sthash.BwMnnP4T.dpuf

he majority of tracks on the album are richly painted narratives. They present the listener with extravagant landscapes, beautifully constructed, both lyrically and musically. These songwriters know how to create a rural sound, despite coming from the urban North Melbourne. The lead singer presents us with numerous lines that stay with us after listening to the album. The last track, Day Fall, presents us with a beautiful simile, “Days fall away like dying leaves. You get a little time in the sun, then you’re riding the breeze”. The character study, Jackie, brings back a romantic figure from youth, “Jackie was a tough kid, she got up when the moon did”.

The vocals are reminiscent of Bob Dylan’ vocals on Nashville Skyline. They have a sense of authenticity that may not be technically perfect, but nonetheless maintain a kind of beat swagger. The instruments consist mostly of acoustic guitars, bass, drum kits, electric guitars, classic country and folk slide guitars as well as harmonicas. The sound is raw. Simple instrumentation, following a simple but effective traditional country format.

Although this simple and raw format is what give Raised by Eagles a certain appeal, it sort of indicates why it might become boring to some listeners. There is a repetitiveness to a lot of the songs that appear on the album. Most of the slower songs, which constitutes six out of the eight, follow very simple verse, chorus, verse, chorus, solo, chorus formats. Someone could hear that and say “awesome, simple, no-fuss country songs”. Or they may think “I am sick of these boring country song that all sound the same”. It really depends on the listener. If you have patience this album will prove a worthwhile listen. There are some great messages in here, but the album is not going to spoon feed it to you, you have to find it.

- See more at: http://renownedforsound.com/index.php/album-review-raised-by-eagles-diamond-in-the-blood/#sthash.BwMnnP4T.dpuf

The majority of tracks on the album are richly painted narratives. They present the listener with extravagant landscapes, beautifully constructed, both lyrically and musically. These songwriters know how to create a rural sound, despite coming from the urban North Melbourne. The lead singer presents us with numerous lines that stay with us after listening to the album. The last track, Day Fall, presents us with a beautiful simile, “Days fall away like dying leaves. You get a little time in the sun, then you’re riding the breeze”. The character study, Jackie, brings back a romantic figure from youth, “Jackie was a tough kid, she got up when the moon did”.

The vocals are reminiscent of Bob Dylan’ vocals on Nashville Skyline. They have a sense of authenticity that may not be technically perfect, but nonetheless maintain a kind of beat swagger. The instruments consist mostly of acoustic guitars, bass, drum kits, electric guitars, classic country and folk slide guitars as well as harmonicas. The sound is raw. Simple instrumentation, following a simple but effective traditional country format.

Although this simple and raw format is what give Raised by Eagles a certain appeal, it sort of indicates why it might become boring to some listeners. There is a repetitiveness to a lot of the songs that appear on the album. Most of the slower songs, which constitutes six out of the eight, follow very simple verse, chorus, verse, chorus, solo, chorus formats. Someone could hear that and say “awesome, simple, no-fuss country songs”. Or they may think “I am sick of these boring country song that all sound the same”. It really depends on the listener. If you have patience this album will prove a worthwhile listen. There are some great messages in here, but the album is not going to spoon feed it to you, you have to find it.

- See more at: http://renownedforsound.com/index.php/album-review-raised-by-eagles-diamond-in-the-blood/#sthash.BwMnnP4T.dpuf

Diamonds in the Blood, is the sophomore album for the Melburnian alternative country four-piece, Raised by Eagles. This album is the album for those people who honestly try and get into country music but listen to the likes of Carrie Underwood and Keith Urban and go, “I don’t get it”. This is raw, no-nonsense, country tinged folk music. Its the kind of music to listen to when driving through the country or remembering a rural home with a congregated iron roof and a rusty tractor.

The majority of tracks on the album are richly painted narratives. They present the listener with extravagant landscapes, beautifully constructed, both lyrically and musically. These songwriters know how to create a rural sound, despite coming from the urban North Melbourne. The lead singer presents us with numerous lines that stay with us after listening to the album. The last track, Day Fall, presents us with a beautiful simile, “Days fall away like dying leaves. You get a little time in the sun, then you’re riding the breeze”. The character study, Jackie, brings back a romantic figure from youth, “Jackie was a tough kid, she got up when the moon did”.