release date: Oct. 6, 2009
format: digital (11 x File, FLAC)
[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,84]
producer: Thomas Troelsen & The Raveonettes
label: Fierce Panda - nationality: Denmark
Track highlights: 1. "Bang!" - 2."Gone Forever" - 3. "Last Dance" - 4. "Boys Who Rape (Should All Be Destroyed)" - 5. "Heart of Stone" - 7. "Suicide" - 9. "Breaking Into Cars" - 10. "Break Up Girls!" - 11. "Wine"
4th studio album by The Raveonettes following two years after Lust Lust Lust (Nov. 2007) has been made with hot producer Thomas Troelsen. Songwriter Sune Wagner released an acclaimed solo album debut with a bunch of songs written in Danish in his own name in 2008. Much to the usual formula this new album here consists of eleven tracks that doesn't challenge the total album length - even for vinyl releases. Here, the songs come to an end after 37 mins.
Now with Troelsen as co-producer of the album and as co-composer of 7 songs his presence is noticed on the overall sound, making this the band's most pop-founded album to date. Skillfully, Wagner and Foo still maintain their trademarks holding Troelsen on a tight leash, which secures a noticeable change to a modernised 60s sound, or a shift towards a contemporary pop / rock-style with enough influence from 60s surf rock to make it a certified product by Sharin Foo / Sune Wagner. In addition, Foo and Wagner fronts the cover in a b/w photo but for the first time without assimilating a style of the 1950s or 60s.
Stylewise, there's the usual garage rock revival and surf rock vibe runing through the whole album but it's done with a new twist leaning on modern pop-productions, and it works quite nicely. The album starts off with five fine songs that put this on a new high and although the whole affair fades somewhat in the second half, the album still stands as the duo's so far best.
Recommended.
[ allmusic.com, PopMatters 3,5 / 5, Pitchfork 6,9 / 10, The Guardian, Alternative Press 4 / 5 stars ]
