The Raveonettes - Pretty in Black

The end of the year and all the warm fuzzy pseudo-nostalgia that comes with it is here. For me at least. Don't get that feeling? Fake it with my favorite cds of the year. I'll post the top ones that pop into my head. Starting with...

The Raveonette's Pretty in Black-

This album is macaroni and cheese for the ears. My favorite band of surfer-rock Swedes Sune Rose Wagner and Sharin Foo released their thrid album this year. To lukewarm reviews. At least the ones I saw. They called the Raveonettes schizophrenic for abondoning their past shtick of making albums in just one key and stabbing boldly skyward with a slew of still retro homages.

The result is a twangy, gorgeous, subtle thing complete with endearing (and non-cheesy, swear-to-god) country ballads like "The Heavens". Surfer/rockabilly hooks abound, but don't hit you over the head. Usually that thing bores me to death. I blame the melodies, I guess. They're not tacky in a sort of brash New Pornographers or Sufjam Stevems way, but they're positively subcutaneous after a listen.

Favorite song? Uncertain Times. It's a cute bit of strumming and reverb coupled with a valiantly woozy guitar line that is unmistakably Raveonettes. Which to me, is something worth spending $12 for when most music is dominated by super hyphenated indie/dance/punk/rock/shit/pop that recycles the same cliches. The Raveonettes dig up old (postively anachronistic) cliches and spit shine from 'used' into 'vintage'.