The Raveonettes- ‘Pretty In Black’ (Columbia) Released 25/07/05

The Raveonettes would always have been able to find a following for their rebranding of fifties style music. Let’s face it the base is already there. It will be their dark vocals and lyrics that will split this fan base into love ’em or just like ’em. Unfortunately they don’t bring too much that’s new to this genre and in places appear to be a little to overwhelmed by what they are trying to achieve...

The Raveonettes achieve a sound that is something of the ‘round the camp fire/happy trails’ with their opener- ‘The Heavens’, then mix in a shot of… aaaaaaarrrrrgggghhh ‘Mull of Kintyre’; and this is all okay if you’re about to go to sleep or are sitting in some downmarket bar, telling the barman your life story for the hundredth time after the fifth bottle of whisky and…… well you get the picture. It is like a mild dose of anaesthetic.

 â€˜Seductress of Burns’ is a trip back to the fifties and is so powerful in that respect that you could slip it into a juke box and no one would know it had only just been penned. From the start ‘Love In A Trashcan’ is vocally low slung, with a twang to the guitars that combine to fit beautifully together to both sell itself and a help create a highly charged sexual bullet. Groove to this number, you really just can’t help it.

Adding a touch of the Shadows ‘Apache’ to its style, ‘Sleep Walking’ is a musical melange which provides a thrust to the senses whereas ‘My Boyfriends Back’ acts as some kind of tribute to ‘The Leader Of The Pack’ all the way from its half sung, half spoken lyrics beginning through to the ‘sha la la’ backing vocals. This 'I’m sure I’ve heard something like this before’ feeling continues with ‘Uncertain Times’ and ‘Here Comes Mary’ both sound like they've come from The Everley Brothers school of music.

‘Somewhere In Texas’ is an acoustic led country number which would suite the soundtrack of a spaghetti western. Alternatively you could chuck in the camp fire and dance around it. The best number on this album is ‘You Say You Lie’ which is headed straight for the dance floor. It’s uncomplicated and has a great feel good factor. ‘Ode To LA’, well imagine the Beach Boys sound, but with a female lead vocalist and you’ll close to this brilliantly produced song.

The use of a mish mash of worn out styles on this album both helps and hinders its success. 'Pretty In Black' is all warm and familiar like that old knatty jumper you just won't throw out, it has some real stand out tracks that have already catipulted this duo onto Radio 2's playlist. However, your nanna just might like it more then you and thats just not cool.