Just Like Honey

Albums this autumn are somehow like catwalk shows at this September’s Fashion Weeks. They rarely tell you what songs will be perfect for this year, but they always tell you what songs will be the must haves on your iPod next summer. And part of the summer 2010 collection we have The Raveonettes’ ‘In And Out Of Control’.

Cliché as it might be, you seriously wonder why the hell did they not take out album opener ‘Bang!’ as a single this summer, in June or July, when the sun was shining even in Scotland. On the other hand, one can’t think of a serious reason why it shouldn’t be played 24/7 until next autumn, regardless of the amount of rain/snow falling. With its ‘f-f-fun all summer long’ vibe, this one sets the tone/musical direction for the entire record. There are fewer layers, less noise and distortion, less Jesus and Mary Chain guitars and more Beach Boys-infused pop. In fact, there is only one song to feature any type of noise, ‘Break Up Girls!’, and this one is the next-to-last on the album.

Some people will say it’s slightly more mainstream then the rest of their albums. Fair enough. If you replace ‘mainstream’ with melodic. The pounding upbeat drums, the rockabilly guitars (which sometimes end up sounding like part of a Cramps song – ‘Breaking Into Cars’ comes to mind), the blending of the voices, all these are catchy enough and make great sing-a-longs. The only moment when the summer-vibe fades is halfway into the record, on the bitter-sweet yet somehow disposable ‘Oh, I Buried You Today’.

There is another thing the Danish duo got us used to, besides heavy distortion: dark lyrical content. And ‘In And Out Of Control’ has this: there are talks of drugs, heartbreaks, rape, suicide and nostalgia. And, yes, it ends with ‘Wine’ that also is also about the sunny days of summer but it’s clear that, unlike ‘Bang!’ which is about looking forward to those careless days, this one is about feeling sorry there gone just like so many other things.

All together, this is easily one of this year’s best albums and it would be surprising if it didn’t make the cut for several lists at the end of this year. And, if there’s any justice, it’ll be stuck on your iPod until next time this year.