Quoth the Raveonettes, “Give me more,” and they are doing just that. The Raveonettes released their new album Pe’Ahi earlier this week and it’s safe to say this haunting dreamy album is the perfect soundtrack for your transition from summer to fall, especially the single “Summer Ends.”
(trigger warning: don’t watch this video if you are prone to photosensitive epilepsy).
They just released new lyric videos for a few of their singles AND they will be touring the US starting this September.
This album is eerie, pretty sexy, and great background music while you’re working or casually walking through a cemetery at dusk. The Danish rock duo consists of Sune Rose Wagner and Sharin Foo, and the album delves into their exploration of life, death, and everything in between, with a creepy yet surf rock inspired feel.
While this album was heavily inspired by Sune’s father’s passing, they chose to make the album sound full of life and inspired by surf culture. In a press release from the band, Sune explains, “I wanted to immerse myself in the surfing history of Southern California, where both Sharin and I reside, and incorporate various elements from this specific culture into each song both lyrically and musically.”
They were inspired by kids who want to change the world through surfing and skateboarding and kids “who weren’t afraid and who never let their creativity and dreams die,” and the kids who weren’t in it for commercial interest.
And they chose to try something completely new with their sound, incorporating harps, digital bit crushing, trying different ways of singing and guitar picking. Each song consists of completely different parts, unlike your classic Poptart-song consisting of verse, chorus, verse etc.
Sune explains this choice in musical direction, “we made a conscious decision to not have any ballads on this album, and we wanted it to roar like Pe’ahi. This album would only have been possible to make on the west coast. Sun, Surf, the pacific, vast spaces yet a sense of isolation.”
Pe’ahi refers to a place on the north shore of the island of Maui in the state of Hawaii. It is known for a big wave surfing break locals call “Jaws”. During off-season the spot is taken over by meth-fueled junkies, and people are advised to not venture out there. It’s also known for being the place of the tragic murder of 27-year-old pregnant Carly Scott, in February of 2014.
Having been born and raised in Hawaii, I can say that this album perfectly encapsulates the erie feeling that comes over you at certain parts of the island, especially when the weather is just about to take a turn for the worse. It’s not all flower leis and hula dancers, there is a scary reality about the islands that’s never talked about. This scary reality including meth addiction, murders, lost fathers and fading summers is just as real in any other place, yet often brushed over. And I believe this is the most fitting title for such a haunting album.
The US Tour Dates Are:
9/22 Bimbo’s – San Francisco, CA
9/23 Observatory – San Diego, CA
9/24 El Rey – Los Angeles, CA
9/26 Double Door – Chicago, IL
9/27 Mid Point Festival – Cincinnati, OH
9/29 Music Hall of Williamsburg – Brooklyn NY
9/30 Music Hall of Williamsburg – Brooklyn NY
10/1 The Black Cat – Washington DC
Visit www.theraveonettes.com for more. And for a FREE DOWNLOAD of their song “Sisters”
Photo Credit: Amazon / NME / Wikicommons
