The Raveonettes: Raven In The Grave

The Raveonettes
Raven In The Grave
Vice Records [2011]









Fire Note Says: The Raveonettes attempt to get back to the basics.

Album Review:
The Raveonettes fifth album, Raven In The Grave, actually upset me a bit because I set the bar really high and sadly the duo came in under my expectations. This is not to say there are not some great tracks here. "Forget That You're Young" represents The Raveonettes at their best with layered vocals and a memorable song structure, while rocker "Ignite" will make you turn up the volume knob. Opening track, "Recharge & Revolt" finds the duo venturing more into a shoegaze genre that works well for them and "Apparitions" contains a spooky quality to it that just comes off cool, as the song builds in intensity. With all of those praises, most of the other tracks suffer from weak or non-existent melodies and lyrically don't hold up to their previous work. There definitely is enough here to hold fans attention and when Raven In The Grave is good - it is really good. Returning to a more dark vibe is a direction I would like to see The Raveonettes take even further because they can pull it off. This duo would not have lasted that long if it wasn't possible. Raven In The Grave may not have all the pieces working together but still has style that is worth checking out, as The Raveonettes still show why they are relevant today!

Key Tracks: "Forget That You're Young", "Ignite", "Apparitions"

Bands With Similar Fire:
Dum Dum Girls
The Kills
Sonic Youth

The Raveonettes: In And Out Of Control [Fire Note Review 10/13/09]
The Raveonettes: Lust Lust Lust [Fire Note Review 2/28/08]

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