Music: The Raveonettes: Black Candy
The Raveonettes released their fourth full-length album "In and Out of Control" this month, and beneath the layers of addicting '50s summer-pop hooks and '60s surf guitar, they've managed to bake a completely contradictory subject matter into their outwardly optimistic sound: suicide, rape, drug addiction and other harsh realities.
Sune Rose Wagner, the male half of the Danish rock duo, calls the new album "A big fuck you ... to the bad people. But no one person in particular."
They play First Avenue Monday.
"In and Out of Control" is filled with incredibly straightforward, literal lyrics pertaining to hard issues. The track "Boys Who Rape" is ridiculously catchy: cool, galloping drums, static synth, a rad guitar solo and irresistible, harmonized vocals. When you actually start to mouth the lyrics, "Boys who rape should be destroyed," the emotion it provokes is harder to pinpoint.
"Last Dance" is a dreamy rock track with a similar effect. Twinkling chimes dust a caramel-smooth chorus that would inspire thoughts of high school prom, not a nasty drug habit. "Every time you overdose, I rush to intensive care," the Raveonettes sing. "If this is the last dance, then save it for me, baby."
"This album is inspired by ourselves or people we know -- we've got friends who have been raped or committed suicide," Wagner says matter-of-factly. "Everyone knows someone and we're just like everyone else."
The Raveonettes formed in 2001 with a stylish, minimalist take on post-punk, modernizing elements from classic role models like the Ronettes, Buddy Holly and Gene Vincent. "In and Out" is a glossier version of the Raveonettes' previous albums, with less reverb and more polished production. Wagner and his musical other half, Sharin Foo, had no idea what to expect when heading into the project. With zero songs prepared and just more than a month of studio time, the Raveonettes say they came out with a product that surpassed their expectations.
"I didn't think it was going to be that good," Wagner says. "We had six weeks to write, record and mix. We had no plans. No nothing. It was crazy."
Wagner strayed from his usual songwriting habits, generally penning four to five new songs per day. Whether he's at the museum checking out a Jackson Pollock painting or catching a creative wave from someone on the street, Wagner says he can find a song in nearly everything.
"The world is full of inspiration. I never understood people who say they can't write songs. It's all around you, all day."
Time constraints and pressure from their record company meant less direct inspiration for songs on "In and Out," Wagner says. "We were just firing away and didn't have time to think of anything too specific. Play it now. Do it now. There was no time for 'I'll think about it.'"
But surprisingly, Wagner says he enjoyed the process. "Spontaneity is underestimated. People don't think of it as good craftsmanship, but it's just another way we can create."
