The Raveonettes' third album,
Lust Lust Lust, is the sound of a band rescuing its career from the clutches of cliché and rediscovering the magic that made it so exciting on its debut,
Chain Gang of Love. The opening track, "Aly, Walk with Me," serves notice that things are going to be a lot different, the menacing prowl of the verses giving way to a deafening burst of white light/white heat noise halfway through the song. Those fearing that
Lust Lust Lust would be another record lost to over-production and slickness should, once they regain their hearing, be ecstatic. The duo recaptures the fire, mystery, and dirty glamour of its early records and adds a sharper melodic sense on a batch of songs that will stick to you like a sharp knife between the ribs. Tracks like the thrillingly bleak yet devastatingly pretty "Dead Sound," the swaying "The Beat Dies," and the classically melodic "Black Satin" are as good as anything the band has done to date (and frankly, compare quite ably to the work of their most obvious influence,
the Jesus and Mary Chain). Sune Rose Wagner took over the production task from Richard Gottherer and stripped away all remnants of the glossy hack job they did on
Pretty in Black. Throughout the record, the reverb is so heavy it might make you woozy, the drums clatter like trash can lids, and the vocals struggle to make it through the layers of haze, but Wagner's light touch and newfound sense of restraint means the arrangements sound fully realized and, if not three-dimensional, a very strong two. Sharin Foo's vocals sounds as glacial and, as ever, Wagner's guitar melodies are note perfect (check his work on "Blitzed" for a short lesson on how to do a lot with only a few notes) and the two of them appear as reassuringly unwholesome as ever. Happy about it even, as they sing of being tied to evil hearts, black lollipops, and death by deceit in their sweet and unconcerned voices.
Lust Lust Lust should have been the follow-up to
Chain Gang of Love;
Pretty in Black can just be considered a mistake, and fans of the fuzzy, decadent, and overdriven version of the Raveonettes can be happy that they have their band back; nastier, prettier, and better than ever. ~ Tim Sendra