The Raveonettes are a Danish duo, and Raven in the Grave is their fifth album. They play gothic garage-style rock characterized by close two-part harmonies. They sound like a lot like The Jesus and Mary Chain, if you need a reference.
The good stuff on this album comes quick. Track two “War in Heaven” is what The Birthday Party might sound like if you took Nick Cave off drugs, and somehow hooked the songs on heroin instead. It’s great chill out music, but the lyrics definitely call attention to themselves: “there’s a war in heaven/I hate when they forget to let people in.” It’s not a new subject by any means, recalling any number of classic literary works, but it works well. The song drifts past, occasionally interrupted by bursts of noise. It’s kind of fascinating.
Next is “Forget That You’re Young”, which is closer to a pure pop song. The instruments are played so seamlessly, it’s hard to distinguish what’s going on immediately. There’s an electric guitar playing in the background, keyboards, and what sounds like a drum machine. The vocals are compelling, and the whole thing has a strange sense of space.
If there’s anything difficult about this album, it’s that you’ll miss a lot if you aren’t paying attention. I like this album a lot, but about halfway through I usually find myself spacing out. The albums disregards it’s listener, and simply does what it wants to. The thing is, if you want to dig in there’s a lot here. It’s great for chilling out, but it’s also susceptible to closer attention. Highly recommended.
Track listing:
1. Recharge & Revolt
2. War In Heaven
3. Forget That You’re Young
4. Apparitions
5. Summer Moon
6. Let Me On Out
7. Ignite
8. Evil Seeds
9. My Times Up
