The Raveonettes
Pretty in Black

THE REVIEW

Third album for the extremely Swedish Raveonettes, represented by Sune Rose Wagner and Sharin Foo. These two semi-clones of the Reid Brothers (namely the unforgettable Jesus & Mary Chain) manage to amaze with their lack of originality in both the songs and especially the sound. After a second album that fell below expectations, they make a great comeback by putting together 13 fresh songs that have nothing new; in fact, they seem stolen from a mix of groups and individuals who have created the sound and history of music over at least the last 40 years.

But the shocking thing is that even though they invent nothing new, with this third album (which doesn't really represent the new garage rock of their beginnings) they manage to surprise from the first listen, offering beautiful songs that are easy to listen to and insufficiently demanding, with west film melodies and fifties ballads. In addition to a lot of acoustic guitar and the historic distorted guitars in the J&MC style, they add strummed Grestch White Falcon type guitars that strongly recall the fabulous South sound of the golden years, all filled with good choruses and precise singing.
The album marches almost entirely at the same level without too many abrupt highs and lows, with, in my opinion, the sweet "Somewhere in Texas," the rockish "Sleepwalking," and the nostalgic "Ode to L." standing out but not by much.

A modest but well-produced album, which after a few listens leaves a gust of 50s nostalgia and will certainly not enter the history of music, but lends itself well to a relaxed listen, an ideal companion for ears that are not too refined, paired with a comfortable armchair, or to take under the beach umbrella, dreaming of endless prairies and endless spaces with the notes of these 13 "pleasant" songs.