Danish boy/ girl duo the Raveonettes have always been an odd mixture of scuzzy garage rock and bubblegum 1950s pop. So there's a neat symmetry about the guest stars they've drafted in for their second full-length album: drummer Mo Tucker of the Velvet Underground and singer Ronnie Spector of the Ronnettes. The result is easily their most commercial offering to date, an adrenaline-fuelled collection of summery pop that's drenched in heavy reverb and woo-hooh harmonies. True, it's a little samey at times and a few of the tracks are a bit too close to pastiche for comfort. But there's also an intriguing undertone of sexual ambiguity and classy production values that raise Pretty In Black well above the mainstream. Impressive stuff in any colour.
