Drops: Raveonettes' 'Raven in the Grave'

With a growing number of indie rockers like the Dum Dum Girls and Crystal Stilts following their lead, The Raveonettes take a left turn on "Raven in the Grave" (Vice).

Instead of the Jesus and Mary Chain-influenced noise-pop from their previous four albums, this time out Sharin Foo's sweet vocals no longer need to cut through the droning guitars of Sune Rose Wagner. They're actually generally propped up by pillowy synths and poppier guitar riffs.

Maybe the biggest surprise is "Forget That You're Young," which owes more to Bruce Springsteen's "Dancing in the Dark" than anything on "Psychocandy." Foo's pretty vocals drive the song essentially unimpeded, as the duo asks "Can I fall awake now?"

That doesn't mean The Raveonettes have abandoned their love of the melodic simplicity of The Ronettes -- the inspiration for their name -- but the Wall of Sound is down for most of "Raven in the Grave." It's replaced on "Recharge & Reload" with a backdrop that's somewhere between Smashing Pumpkins circa "1979" and New Order around "Low Life." On "Ignite," Wagner and Foo's vocals channel '90s shoegazers while the music sounds straight out of the Echo and the Bunnymen catalog.

"Raven in the Grave" is quite a departure for The Raveonettes, who had been honing their insular sound for years. But the fresh air of new influences seems to have done them good.

The Raveonettes

"Raven in the Grave"

GRADE B+

BOTTOM LINE The Danish indie rockers indulge their softer side.