The Raveonettes

Oldies fans will find something to love on “Lust, Lust, Lust,” the latest release from co-ed Danish duo the Raveonettes. Fittingly for a group that takes its name from the Buddy Holly hit “Rave On,” Sune Rose Wagner and Sharin Foo pay homage to the ’60s-era American pop inspirations that are frequently cited but rarely revived. The band incorporates instrumental nods to their beloved Holly and Lou Reed along with close vocal harmonies that recall the pre-pubescent crooning of the Everly Brothers and the cheerful banter of the Ronettes.

The Raveonettes’ unapologetic lifting from bygone musical greats has occasionally made their previous releases seem like vintage tributes. With “Lust, Lust, Lust,” however, Foo and Wagner offer an update on the work of their late heroes. To a greater degree than ever before, the band’s use of noise, reverb, and minimalist production presents the sounds of the ’60s in quality contemporary form. The album’s a logical progression for the band. Their music has been headed this way since they first experimented with static on 2003 track “Noisy Summer,” whose opening blast growled threateningly through the background of an otherwise bouncy and adorable chant.

From the first ominous rumble out of Foo’s bass on “Aly, Walk With Me,” it’s clear that the tight, swinger style of 2005’s “Pretty in Black” is a thing of the past. Although Foo and Wagner have tossed aside the vampy guitar licks and punchy percussiveness of earlier albums, the Raveonettes don’t compromise their catchiness in favor of edge. And while their music now sounds less like a Velvet Underground re-release and more like The Jesus and Mary Chain, echoes of the Raveonettes’ pop sensibilities are still audible, most noticeably in the clapping, upbeat canter of “Sad Transmission.”

On the remaining tracks, the noise machine rises to the level of a phantom third band member, competing, often successfully, with guitars and vocals for prominence. But the fuzzy new nature of the songs on “Lust, Lust, Lust” is never deafening; muting and reverb are occasionally used to achieve a less jarring sound. The slushy mixture of noise and melody on tracks like “Lust” and “I Close My Eyes” gives these songs the quality of sinister lullabies.

Occasionally, the album can teeter on repetition. “You Want the Candy” and “Blitzed” open with nearly identical riffs, and, though sweet in sound, the Raveonettes’ lyrics have never been all that deep or inspired. Overall, however, the material is good enough to be recycled. Having become masters at musical appropriation, it is perhaps only fitting that, after finding something that works and works well, the Raveonettes have now begun to copy themselves.

—Reviewer Nayeli R. Rodriguez can be reached at nrodrig@fas.harvard.edu.