Change is rarely seen as a good thing in music. Manchester's very own Free Trade Hall is a reminder of that on Bob Dylan's famously mistitled bootleg where the natives were less than pleased by his midset switch to electric guitars. However, he wouldn't be the legend he is without that controversial change, so history has certainly looked back fondly. How will The Raveonettes be treated now that they have dropped the fuzz and gone all nostalgic?

Well, it's probably safe to say that they are unlikely to be remembered forty years on for being ground-breaking, but the here and now finds the Raveonettes in top form with one of the albums of the year.

Pretty In Black is their follow-up to Chain Gang of Love, though this is more like a fresh start for them than a follow-up, with the Danish duo throwing off the shackles of noisy garage rock for a sound more akin to '50s rock n roll and Phil Spector girl-group classics.

They pull it off remarkably well, with the album's clear highlight being Ode To LA, which perfectly sums up the crystalline melodies of their new sound, and even more impressive is that it features the one and only Ronnie Spector on guest vocals. The Ronnettes star may be getting on in years, but makes it a very special song merely by her very presence.

However, that's not to say the rest of the album disappoints in any way. Opener The Heavens sets the scene with a crackly country ballad, while Seductress Of Bums is even better, with Sune Rose Wagner's guitar shimmering before dropping away for Sharin Foo to croon over Wall of Sound-esque sleigh bells. Love In A Trashcan finds the guitars set on Duane Eddy twang-mode as the Raveonettes continue the homage-a-thon.

They even cover a girl-group number My Boyfriend's Back, which ironically has the most modern-sounding production, whilst still in keeping with the original's poppy melodies. Foo gets the right amount of sass in her voice, which she probably had to do to stand up to Ronnie Spector later in the album.

Here Comes Mary isn't a cover, but could so easily have come from the late 50s/early 60s, which will of course only appeal if you are a fan of music from those times. There is a chance that there will be some fans thoroughly bemused by this change of tack, but there's sure to be plenty of new fans to take their place, because this album deserves to be huge.