SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: THE RAVEONETTES – THE RAVEONETTES SING…

THE RAVEONETTES
THE RAVEONETTES SING…
CLEOPATRA RECORDS

The Raveonettes hail from Copenhagen and are a duo consisting of Sune Rose Wagner and Sharin Foo. The Raveonettes Sing… is their first full-length album since 2017’s 2016 Atomized. The album consists of cover versions of songs that influenced the band. This is a very eclectic collection, as one would expect with The Raveonettes, and as much as I love their own material, this covers album is quite brilliant.

The album opens with “I Love How You Love Me”, a song by The Paris Sisters and was the first song Phil Spector ever produced. It is a stunning cover. It is a sparse arrangement, with their trademark blend of vocals and, while they do not lose any of the original charm of the original, they do turn it into a Raveonettes’ song. Their version has an uneasy feeling yet it is very beautiful. This is followed by their cover of The Cramps’ “Goo Goo Muck”. The Raveonettes slow it down, add an interesting break in the song, and once again, transform it into their world.

This can really be said for the rest of the album. In a very unique way, The Raveonettes always had a retro sound and with The Raveonettes Sing…, they fully embrace the sound and production. “Wishing”, a Buddy Holly cover, is outstanding and very brilliant. There is sadness in the vocals and the instrumentation is perfect. Once again, they are embracing that retro sound, whereas “The Return Of The Grievous Angel” gives one an idea of how The Jesus And Mary Chain might have covered the Gram Parsons song. They take the country element out of the song and added their distinct rockabilly. The highlight of the album is their take on Velvet Underground’s “Venus In Furs”. It is pure magic. The vocals, guitars, rhyme scheme and production is absolutely perfect.

The Raveonettes Sing…may be an unexpected album from this talented duo, but it is a brilliant album. In a sense, it is not just a covers album, but really a Raveonettes’ album. It fits their sound and style and perhaps this is the door opening to more music from the duo. They certainly have been missed between the last two albums, and while this is brilliant, new songs from the two would be welcomed.

Artist Links