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The Raveonettes

Raven In The Grave

Written by: TL on 01/05/2011 17:42:25

Shortly prior to actually listening to the new The Raveonettes album "Raven In The Grave", I remember having a conversation with my girlfriend, about how I thought this band was a good example of a common handicap among indie bands - that being them getting too occupied with one style, and hence falling to produce albums that sound too samey and have too few stand out songs. I guess it's just my luck then, that on this, the Danish duo's fifth LP, they have decided to stray further than ever before, away from any styles or concepts I can remember having heard from them (not that I have been a close follower of their band though).

Although still all buzzing in sound, "Raven In The Grave" departs from the noisy minimalism of past hits like "Attack Of The Ghost Riders", "That Great Love Sound" and "Love In A Trashcan", by being noticeably more bright and layered in its soundscape. It's not that they've been far from it before, but it seems Sune Rose Wagner and Sharin Foo are taking the fuzzy indie-pop trend - the one bands like Yuck and The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart are currently making popular - and making it more floaty and thoughtful, reminding me on more than one occasions of some of the more trippy The Cure moments.

As such, "Raven In The Grave" appears as a deeper and more inviting atmosphere, compared to the somewhat straight-forward melodies of the two bands mentioned first above of here, as one can hear in the likes of "War In Heaven" and "Apparitions", both of which show the unquestionably stylish listening experience provided by the band.

However, as cool and atmospheric as it may sound, Foo and Wagner never really take their songs anywhere really intense, effectively making the record more of the kind you can absent-mindedly get lost in, than one that comes to mind as something exciting enough for you too feel that you simply must listen to it. It's like the perceived feeling of depth that it has over its contemporaries, comes at the cost of having songs that are simply slightly less catchy and engaging. Effectively, it turns out that while the band is trying on something new and somewhat refreshing, they still end up appearing a bit like I predicted: That is slightly restrained by the style they've chosen to work with, which in turn makes their record an interesting listen, but not one to be remembered by many.

Download: War In Heaven, Apparitions, My Time's Up
For The Fans Of: Yuck, The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart, The Cure, The Jesus And Mary Chain
Listen: myspace.com/theraveonettes

Release Date 04.04.2011
Vice / Universal Music Denmark