Danish duo The Raveonettes [ tickets ] reveal a lot more of themselves on their second full-length album than they did on their first; the overmodulated, fuzzy guitars are back-burnered, as are the electronic vocal effects.

While uncluttering the song production, Sune Rose Wagner and Sharin Foo also open up their sound on "Pretty in Black," retreating from a previous, self-imposed rule requiring that all songs be written in the key of B flat. Wagner, the duo's songwriter, doesn't push the envelope, however, preferring to update the tried-and-true rock structures of the late '50s and early '60s.

When the formula works--as on standout tracks "The Heavens" "Sleepwalking" and "Twilight"--the result feels at once familiar and new. When it doesn't--as on "Here Comes Mary" and the cover of "My Boyfriend's Back"--the songs don't rise above comfortable background music.

The Raveonettes clearly are excellent students of rock history, but they'll need to better define their own sound if they want to make a permanent mark.