THE RAVEONETTES Chain Gang Of Love (Columbia/Sony) Rating: NNN
Rating: NNN
A year after dropping their Dogme-rigid three chords/one key debut EP, Whip It On, much-hyped Danish duo the Raveonettes return with a similarly stripped-down full-length disc. While the spooky cinematics of the melancholic B-flat minor Whip It On dissipate into chirpy Phil Spectorish pop in Chain Gang Of Love’s major-key sparkle, the Nico-cool robotic detachment in Sune Rose Wagner’s and Sharin Foo’s tag-team vocals remains, adding an ominous chill to their layered retro-garage pop. The bright ditties retain a neat rough sheen, and the bare-bones concept is cool, but their minimalist approach works better on an EP. Thirteen tracks + three chords + one style + no special effects = a whole whack of songs that sound the same.
