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Raveonettes Are (Mostly) In Control

Richard Hine | 12/09/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The Raveonettes kicked it up a notch with their third album LUST LUST LUST. And they're back again with the similarly dark-but-infectious IN AND OUT OF CONTROL At the risk of repeating myself, I'll repeat what I said in an earlier review: "Put a cupful of 1950s rock'n'roll, two tablespoons of 1960s girl group vibes and a sprinkle of new millennium noise pop into a sonic blender and you have the Raveonettes." The echoes of the Shangri-Las are particularly strong in album opener "Bang!" and the catchy "Last Dance." The singalong opportunity diminishes with "Boys Who Rape (Should All Be Destroyed)." You might agree with the sentiment, but you can't avoid the lyrical awkwardness. Those three minutes aside, the album gets back on track with "Heart of Stone" and the tender "Oh, I Buried You Today." "Breaking Into Cars" is a standout track. "Break Up Girls!" seems to imagine a lost, distorted B-side to "Leader of the Pack." The album closes with the atmospheric and maudlin "Wine," lamenting "Lone/roads/sprinkled/with tears" and a summer that "threw our love away.""

In & Out of Control

E. Anderson | 04/03/2010

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I have to admit I am one of the few people who actually enjoyed Pretty in Black. It wasn't as good as the band's other albums but it was pleasant. I wasn't so thrilled with their previous album Lust, Lust, Lust. The music just bored me. After such mediocre music, I wasn't sure whether I wanted the new Raveonettes' album In and Out of Control but after hearing their song "Last Dance" on my local modern rock station, I decided to get it. I am glad I did. In and Out of Control quickly reminded me what made me fall in love with The Raveonettes' music. Most of the songs got stuck in my head like "Bang!" and "Last Dance" with their charming '60s retro pop melodies. Lyrically? I think the band could have done better. I absolutely hate "Boys Who Rape (Should All Be Destroyed)". I thought the lyrics were pretty terrible. I also did not care for "D.R.U.G.S". I also thought some of the melodies on the album felt flat like on the two aforementioned tracks but overall In and Out of Control is a million times better than the duo's previous two albums. They certainly have redeemed themselves with me."