The Raveonettes Turn Seattle's Crocodile into a Sound Bath

The Raveonettes (Sune Rose Wagner and Sharin Foo)- who made waves in the early and mid-2000s with their matchless flair for melding melodic girl-group doo-wop with retro rock and modern bents of shimmering effects and glitzed-out guitar dissonance- have returned to the U.S. touring circuit after a decade-long absence. Inside Seattle’s ultra-cool The Crocodile, longtime devotees eagerly anticipated the return of the Stygian-tilting musical visionaries while gathered in the packed pit, all waiting patiently with Danish-like hygge. Their eyes focused with intent on an illuminated silver screen hoping the band’s signature strobe show would ignite and pull them into the duo’s world filled with hallucinatory dark delights.

Whether it might be through sheer will or simply the time of night, their wish to see the band again was fulfilled when a burst of bright light ushered in the Danish duo from stage right, dressed in their emblematic black and white. A hint of a synthesized hum thrummed in the air as Sune and Sharin grabbed their mics and sang the beautifully eerie acapella “When the Night is Almost Done” from 2014’s Pe’ahi. After the gorgeous prelude, the pair picked up their instruments and moved into the otherworldly "Aly, Walk with Me” from 2008’s Lust Lust Lust. Together, the selection showcased The Raveonettes’ skill in harmonizing scintillating, wraithlike voices alongside haunting stories and cinematic soundscapes that range from sparse to complex.

Burrowing deeper into the catacombs of their abstract reveries, the pair moved into a subset of tracks from Lust Lust Lust - the sparklingly dark-edged “Dead Sound” and scuzzy David Lynchian “Blush.” The addition of exploding strobe lights blitzing and dancing in time enhanced the performance and surreptitiously pulled the audience further into their songs filled with dark allure.

The Raveonettes followed with a few gothic Western serenades, including “Somewhere in Texas” from 2005’s Pretty in Black and “Love Can Destroy Everything” from 2003’s Chain Gang of Love. The band’s vintage vocals and retro-tremolo twang harkened to sounds made famous by artists such as Duane Eddy and Gram Parsons, just a few of the duo’s many favorite influences acknowledged on their recent release, a compilation of vamped out classics, Sing…

After a brief pause to switch guitars, the duo delved into a B-movie beat denouement filled with Nordic noire storylines, distorted feedback, and oneiric atmospherics featuring fan favorites “Attack of the Ghost Riders” from 2002’s Whip It On and “That Great Love Sound” from 2003’s Chain Gang of Love. Another frenzied explosion of timed strobes followed as Sune and Sharin closed the show with the emboldened “Recharge & Revolt” from 2011’s Raven in the Grave. Its last chords rang against the walls while the venue faded to black. Fans, not knowing when the band might return, stood their ground - with many not wanting to leave just yet, reveling in The Raveonettes’ mysteriously surreal sound bath.

SETLIST