Lust Lust Lust

by

The Raveonettes

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After having the contents of their entire tour van stolen, Sharin Foo and Sun Rose Wagner have decided to abandon the amps-turned-off feel of "Pretty in Black," and instead have returned with new gear to fix what was wrong with "Chain Gang of Love," as well as deliver a longer playing equivalent to "Whip it On," all in one fail swoop. This album plays like everything that was ever good about this group, washing over the listener in waves of blistery feedback and static. The male & female vocals are now perfectly steam pressed together into a creepy androgynous blend, and the tender moments of "Pretty in Black" are now once again awash in the harsh noise of "Whip it On." This is by far their best work to date, and also their most defining. Although die-hard fans always knew what they were all about, this makes it crystal clear, and justifies them as a force to be reckoned with against comparisons to Jesus and Mary Chain, Velvet Underground, Sonic Youth & My Bloody Valentine. By the end of the first song "Ally Walk With Me" you should know what you got yourself into: New York numb, 50's noir, and desert twang tornados, staring you down and approaching like a zombie army.

I first fell in love with The Raveonettes when I first heard samples of THE CHAIN GANG OF LOVE at a local record store. I loved the mix of distorted guitar riffs ala Jesus and Mary Chain and retro '50s/'60s pop music. When PRETTY IN BLACK came out a few years ago, I was a bit surprised to hear just how polished the album was. I liked PRETTY IN BLACK but it wasn't a Raveonettes classic. When I heard that LUST LUST LUST was a return to their roots, I was excited.

It pleases me to say that the band has returned to their original sound however I found the material to be half-baked at best. The melodies aren't nearly as strong as what I heard on their last two albums. As imperfect as PRETTY IN BLACk was, the album definitely had plenty of catchy pop hooks. The songs on LUST LUST LUST weren't anything memorable. The one song that did stand out with me is the bonus track "My Heartbeat's Dying". LUST LUST LUST isn't by all means a bad album. I have heard worse albums this year. I just wasn't all that impressed with it. I hope the band puts more effort into the melodies and enthusiasm for their next album 'cause it sure as heck was lacking in those two areas.