EMI/Virgin
2005
Holes In The Valley
About This Album
Outside of Australia, too few music enthusiasts have had the pleasure of hearing the deftly plundered songsmithing of the Sleepy Jackson, Gelbison, and Old Man River. In their homeland, these bands enjoy high respect and a high profile to boot. Outside of the big backyard, though, they seem almost lost in a haystack. When these three potent bands decided to share some members for a grand side project, the Australian press yelled "Super group!," while the rest of the world mumbled "Who?" The side project in question is Nations by the River, consisting of the Sleepy Jackson's main provocateur, Luke Steele, brothers Edo and Nadav Kahn from Gelbison, and Ohad Rein of Old Man River fame. Conceptualized during a 2003 Sleepys/Gelbison joint tour, the band coalesced under the boys' mutual love for country and folk music, and provided a platform for them to explore a simpler, stripped-down version of the high-and-lonesome (and tastefully psychedelic) sounds they were already creating in their established groups. Listening to the albums from their antecedent bands, it is possible to get an idea of the talent present here, but not much insight into what really makes Nations tick (as the new band has an identity all its own).
Track List (try tracks 3,4,5,6 and 7)

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