The Raveonettes - "She Owns the Streets"

The Raveonettes have always been a favorite of mine. They have a definite style, and one that could be argued to get repetitive. It's not an unfair criticism: Their earlier albums sometimes had sequencing issues where the heartbreak stroll beats and washes of static blurred into one another, giving a bit of sameness. That issue by and large faded by 2008's In and Out of Control, which, dark hued as ever, had a welcoming variety in sounds and texture while still remaining true to the band's distinct style. The first two singles from their forthcoming Observator show this sameness has been eliminated.

"She Owns the Streets," to me, is the finest song they've written. It's got more jangle and less barbed wire than their typically distortion-drenched vignettes, but the sonic clarity here merely magnifies their brilliant way with a melody and moves their 50's fetish forward in an exciting way. While their previous albums had an ever present dark, almost violent sexuality about them, "She Owns the Streets" is almost shocking in its wide-eyed innocence. When Sune Rose Wagner opens the song with a longing, "I wanna know her," you get the impression he means just that. 

Along with the more sinister "Observations," "She Owns the Streets" gives a fascinating look into Observator, and sets the bar dauntingly high.