The Raveonettes - Pretty In Black

I’m not going to claim for one moment to be an expert on The Raveonettes, so you’re just going to have to take this review at face value…. What I can tell you is that what they have done on Pretty In Black is really quite lovely. Call me crazy, but when someone says “Danish band,” thoughtful old-timey ‘50s-styled music isn’t exactly the first thing that pops into my head, but hey, who am I to argue? All I ask is that if a band is going to do something, they do it well – and this is something that causes me no issue here. The strolling harmonies on “The Heavens” are sweet and dreamy, calling to mind wide-open skies and cowboy songs. “Seductress of Bums” sounds like it came straight out of my parents’ prom songbook. Hell, on "Ode to L.A.," they even scored getting Ronnie Ronette (The Ronettes) to contribute her trademark voice to the track. How's that for street cred? “Love In a Trashcan,” the first single, brings their retro sound deliciously into the modern age with a cool rock-a-billy guitar and irresistible go-go beat. (…and for those interested, a friend tells me this is more along the lines of what they have done in the past.) They even take an updated stab at the standard “My Boyfriend’s Back,” adding enough sweet seductiveness to make you wonder if she’s really been faithful after all. “Twilight,” while maintaining the general sound overall, adds the twist of an almost techno dance beat to surprisingly disturbing lyrics: I’m not your friend but your foe / I’ve got so much time to please myself / I don’t count you in at all. The result is one of my favorite tracks. The rest of Pretty In Black just continues the etherial mingling of Sharin Foo and Sune Rose Wagner’s vocals and exquisitely executed melodies in a style that would make dragster/hipster fans very happy. The vocals actually remind me a lot of Dean and Britta in Luna – they are just that beautiful and that perfectly balanced. While the vibe on Pretty In Black is definitely more than just a nod to the good ol’ days of bobby socks and poodle skirts, The Raveonettes really do bring something to it that makes it distinctly modern. I can’t quite my finger on it, but sometimes the intangible quality of a thing is what makes that thing so special. [www.theraveonettes.com]