The Raveonettes

Into the Night (2012)

Joe Pelone

While being a shoegaze garage rock band comes with strict limitations, the Raveonettes have managed thus far to consistently challenge themselves. After a pair of releases that saw them writing all of their songs in the same key, the duo of Sune Rose Wagner and Sharin Foo started knocking out records that took their swirling sound in all manner of directions. Pretty in Black paid homage to retro girl groups and '50s garage rock. Lust Lust Lust was their loudest and most droning collection. In and Out of Lust was their poppiest move. Raven in the Grave was their most ambient album, and I haven't even gotten to the string of EPs, B-sides and compilation tracks along the way.

It is because of these many switch-ups that Into the Night, an EP to whet fans' appetites until new full-length Observator drops in September, comes off as a little stagnant. I'd say it sounds like stereotypical Raveonettes, but none of their albums truly sound alike. While it is my hope that hindsight will reveal these tracks were given the EP treatment so as to tighten up Observator, in this moment, Into the Night is a pleasant enough affair, but by no means essential.

Then again, given its low price, it could make for an excellent introduction to new fans. It possesses all the hallmarks of the Raveonettes' sound. Wagner and Foo still sing in haunting cadences. The guitars shimmer and shine over retro surf rock drums. The whole thing owes a debt to early Jesus and Mary Chain. While it doesn't quite live up to the band's previous output, Into the Night is still a convenient overview of the band's aesthetic and sound. I just hope Observator pushes boundaries more.