Jeremy Aaron
10/23/09, 05:04 PM
The Raveonettes - In and Out of Control
Record Label: Vice
Release Date: October 6, 2009
On the patently awesome Death Cab for Cutie track "We Looked Like Giants," Ben Gibbard inquires, "Do you remember the JAMC," referencing Glaswegian shoegaze pioneers The Jesus and Mary Chain. It's probably a fair guess that some readers probably don't, but if the question were posed to the Danish duo The Raveonettes, the answer would undoubtedly be a resounding "hell yes." Much like The Chain, The Raveonettes display a transparent adoration for early-'60s surf-rock and pop, even going as far as covering The Angels' 1963 hit "My Boyfriend's Back" for their Pretty in Black LP, but douse it heavily with fuzzy noise and reverb.
Their fifth release overall, In and Out of Control continues the band's trend toward dreamier textures, with not much of a trace left of the spiky guitars of the Whip It On mini-album. The hazy sunshine of "Bang!" gets the wild rumpus started, and its sound and carefree feel ("Kids want to bop out in the street, fu-fu-fun all summer long.") would make it fit right in among the tracks on The Pains of Being Pure at Heart's self-titled debut from earlier this year. "Gone Forever" isn't quite so cheery, but it's a perfect illustration of one of The Raveonettes' biggest strengths: the interplay between the dual male-female vocals of Sune Rose Wagner and Sharin Foo. The sweetness of their delivery regardless of the tone of the song is striking, whether it's making a love-as-drug metaphor on "Last Dance" or offering the jarring line "those fuckers stay in your head" on "Boys Who Rape (Should All Be Destroyed)."
Even after having gotten over a past relationship, there's something unsettling about seeing a former lover with someone else, and The Raveonettes touch upon this on the psychedelic-tinged "Heart of Stone." The feeling isn't so much pain-- "You're the reason I can't hurt," Wagner intones-- but perhaps it's the blow to the ego that comes with having been so easily replaced. On the short interlude "Oh, I Buried You Today," Foo can't suppress her own anger at an old flame, remarking, "It's so hard for me to say sweet words about you." Even more unnerving is their handling of somewhat darker fare like "Suicide" and "D.R.U.G.S."; both are nonetheless relentlessly sprightly, the former with a classic noise-pop refrain offset by Jan and Dean-esque verses and the latter very much in a jittery Yeah Yeah Yeahs or Metric vein.
Throughout its run time, In and Out of Control flows in and out of different styles, but "Breaking Into Cars" might be the most effective showcase of the band's various talents in a single track; the verses have a gothic Nick Cave feel, while the chorus carries an atmosphere similar to Rilo Kiley's "Dreamworld." It's followed by the album's most aggressive moment, the opening of "Break Up Girls!" If it seemed like there's been too little catharsis given all the pent-up aggression displayed in the lyrics, it comes out in the white-noise squall that makes up the first two minutes of the track. Apparently, that got it all out of their system, as the remainder of the song is delivered in their usual hushed, honeyed harmonies over a jangly backdrop.
The narcotic "Wine" draws In and Out of Control to a close in a fittingly demure manner. Sonically, the album is almost unfailingly light and airy and the vocals possess a childlike charm, which makes a closer inspection of the often uncomfortable lyrics all the more startling. It's a refinement of the style they moved toward on their first Vice Records album, last years Lust Lust Lust, following the straightforward traditional pop flair of Pretty in Black. Their melodies are capturing, and the dissonance between the jaded, not-always-benevolent attitude of the songs and the wide-eyed naivete with which they're delivered gives them a unique depth. This latest release is a worthy addition to The Raveonettes' discography, and regardless of its title, it's clearly the sound of a band that's "in control."
The Pains of Being Pure at Heart's The Pains of Being Pure at Heart
The Jesus and Mary Chain's Psychocandy
Sad Day for Puppets' Unknown Colors
The Duke Spirit's Neptune
Yeah Yeah Yeahs' Show Your Bones
1. Bang! (2:53)
2. Gone Forever (3:35)
3. Last Dance (3:47)
4. Boys Who Rape (Should All Be Destroyed) (3:03)
5. Heart of Stone (3:55)
6. Oh, I Buried You Today (1:21)
7. Suicide (3:13)
8. D.R.U.G.S. (4:29)
9. Breaking Into Cars (3:07)
10. Break Up Girls! (4:00)
11. Wine (3:40)
Record Label: Vice
Release Date: October 6, 2009
On the patently awesome Death Cab for Cutie track "We Looked Like Giants," Ben Gibbard inquires, "Do you remember the JAMC," referencing Glaswegian shoegaze pioneers The Jesus and Mary Chain. It's probably a fair guess that some readers probably don't, but if the question were posed to the Danish duo The Raveonettes, the answer would undoubtedly be a resounding "hell yes." Much like The Chain, The Raveonettes display a transparent adoration for early-'60s surf-rock and pop, even going as far as covering The Angels' 1963 hit "My Boyfriend's Back" for their Pretty in Black LP, but douse it heavily with fuzzy noise and reverb.
Their fifth release overall, In and Out of Control continues the band's trend toward dreamier textures, with not much of a trace left of the spiky guitars of the Whip It On mini-album. The hazy sunshine of "Bang!" gets the wild rumpus started, and its sound and carefree feel ("Kids want to bop out in the street, fu-fu-fun all summer long.") would make it fit right in among the tracks on The Pains of Being Pure at Heart's self-titled debut from earlier this year. "Gone Forever" isn't quite so cheery, but it's a perfect illustration of one of The Raveonettes' biggest strengths: the interplay between the dual male-female vocals of Sune Rose Wagner and Sharin Foo. The sweetness of their delivery regardless of the tone of the song is striking, whether it's making a love-as-drug metaphor on "Last Dance" or offering the jarring line "those fuckers stay in your head" on "Boys Who Rape (Should All Be Destroyed)."
Even after having gotten over a past relationship, there's something unsettling about seeing a former lover with someone else, and The Raveonettes touch upon this on the psychedelic-tinged "Heart of Stone." The feeling isn't so much pain-- "You're the reason I can't hurt," Wagner intones-- but perhaps it's the blow to the ego that comes with having been so easily replaced. On the short interlude "Oh, I Buried You Today," Foo can't suppress her own anger at an old flame, remarking, "It's so hard for me to say sweet words about you." Even more unnerving is their handling of somewhat darker fare like "Suicide" and "D.R.U.G.S."; both are nonetheless relentlessly sprightly, the former with a classic noise-pop refrain offset by Jan and Dean-esque verses and the latter very much in a jittery Yeah Yeah Yeahs or Metric vein.
Throughout its run time, In and Out of Control flows in and out of different styles, but "Breaking Into Cars" might be the most effective showcase of the band's various talents in a single track; the verses have a gothic Nick Cave feel, while the chorus carries an atmosphere similar to Rilo Kiley's "Dreamworld." It's followed by the album's most aggressive moment, the opening of "Break Up Girls!" If it seemed like there's been too little catharsis given all the pent-up aggression displayed in the lyrics, it comes out in the white-noise squall that makes up the first two minutes of the track. Apparently, that got it all out of their system, as the remainder of the song is delivered in their usual hushed, honeyed harmonies over a jangly backdrop.
The narcotic "Wine" draws In and Out of Control to a close in a fittingly demure manner. Sonically, the album is almost unfailingly light and airy and the vocals possess a childlike charm, which makes a closer inspection of the often uncomfortable lyrics all the more startling. It's a refinement of the style they moved toward on their first Vice Records album, last years Lust Lust Lust, following the straightforward traditional pop flair of Pretty in Black. Their melodies are capturing, and the dissonance between the jaded, not-always-benevolent attitude of the songs and the wide-eyed naivete with which they're delivered gives them a unique depth. This latest release is a worthy addition to The Raveonettes' discography, and regardless of its title, it's clearly the sound of a band that's "in control."
The Pains of Being Pure at Heart's The Pains of Being Pure at Heart
The Jesus and Mary Chain's Psychocandy
Sad Day for Puppets' Unknown Colors
The Duke Spirit's Neptune
Yeah Yeah Yeahs' Show Your Bones
1. Bang! (2:53)
2. Gone Forever (3:35)
3. Last Dance (3:47)
4. Boys Who Rape (Should All Be Destroyed) (3:03)
5. Heart of Stone (3:55)
6. Oh, I Buried You Today (1:21)
7. Suicide (3:13)
8. D.R.U.G.S. (4:29)
9. Breaking Into Cars (3:07)
10. Break Up Girls! (4:00)
11. Wine (3:40)