No three words remain truer for Sune Rose Wagner and Sharin Foo, the duo otherwise known as The Raveonettes who have melted our ears in the past with high frequency synthesizers and the icy coolness of Foo’s vocals. Whether they are a soundtrack to a chill autumn evening or a heavier rock sound assisting a spontaneous dance party with friends, The Raveonettes have never been disappointing in the 11 years of their career.

But how does their latest release, Observator, rank against such legendary albums such as the ‘60s inspired “Back in Black” or the lyric-driven “In and Out?” From the album’s second single “She Owns the Streets” and “Downtown,” Wagner still has the gift of making distinct memorable melodies and not just throwing his guitar into the gigantic melting pot of synthesizers and volume amplifiers. That had been the downfall of Raven in the Grave. There is a difference between being a catchy made-for-singles album and a cohesive album in the line of The Velvet Goldmine and Nico and The Yeah Yeah Yeah’s It’s Blitz!, and Observator teeters that gray line.

But let my one criticism of Observator not dishearten you, for “Sinking in the Sun” is the perfect road trip song and “You Hit Me (I’m Down)” is the perfect song to chillax to. I believe that perhaps it is the main vision of album as a whole makes Observator confused and erratic, but let that not affect The Raveonettes’s amazing body of work.

Key Tracks:

• •“She Owns the Streets”
• •“Downtown”
• •“Sinking in the Sun”

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