Indie rock duo the Raveonettes add an ethereal touch to 10 popular songs in their latest album, made up entirely of covers. Sing…, which features renditions of tracks by Gram Parsons, the Everly Brothers, the Cramps, Buddy Holly, and the Velvet Underground, is a soothing dream pop delight.
The sweetly curated track list displays the dreamy vibe of the “Love in a Trashcan” singers well. Choices including the Hollies’ “Wishing” and the Shangri-Las’ “Leader of the Pack” complement the soft 1960s feel perfectly with their innocently romantic lyrics, but the reassuring simplicity of opening track “I Love How You Love Me” continues even into songs with more explicit themes. “Venus In Furs”, for example, is sang with the same sweetness as “I love how your eyes close whenever you kiss me”, offering a new lens to experience the songs through. They’re tied together well by the shoegaze approach to the music, all songs benefitting from an attractive ambiguity because of the soothing style.
Highlights include “All I Have to Do Is Dream”, the original by the Everly Brothers having been described by guitarist and vocalist Sune Rose Wagner as “the perfect lullaby”; and already heavily covered “Will You Love Me Tomorrow”. The choice for Wagner to take the vocals on the latter works well. The song, best known for its performances by the Shirelles and Carole King, already has multiple impressive cover versions, including Amy Winehouse’s distinctive rendition, and Taylor Swift’s remarkable 2021 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame performance. The male vocals and relaxed feel offer a new perspective that fits well with the rest of the album.
The influence that many of the original songs had on the Raveonettes music is apparent through listening to Sing…, and the album does well to pay homage to them whilst also offering fresh listening for fans.
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