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NBHAP Rating: 3,8/5
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[one_half last=”yes”]DARKNESS FALLS
Dance And Cry
Release-Date: 30.03.2015
Label: Hfn Music
Tracklist:
01. Night Games
02. The Answer
03. Liar’s Kiss
04. Dance And Cry
05. Golden Bells
06. Darkness Falls
07. Paradise Trilogy I
08. Hazy
09. My Father Told Me (He Was Wrong)
10. Midsummer Wail
11. Thunder Roads
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A sinister affair
‘Darkness, my old friend. It’s been a while…’ These are the first words of a track that is named like the band who recorded it: DARKNESS FALLS. Josephine Philip and Ina Lindgreen embrace the not-so-bright side of life in all of its sinister glory. ‘You’re my only true companion’ they sing in the mentioned song, like sirens in the twilight. And the two Danish ladies do that with such a consequence that you can only join them on their way into that fatal affair. Dance And Cry, the second album after their 2011 debut Alive In Us, is even more defined by this dark gloom as the duo builds its tempting pop around that concept and mix it with a few references from the history of sinister pop. The result is a sensual synthpop seduction, just like a warm, nightly breeze.
The dark DNA of Denmark
Although Dance And Cry wasn’t produced by almighty TRENTEMØLLER like Alive In Us, the musical presence by their mentor is always sensible. The dark wave undertone, the yearning guitars, it’s the same DNA but the voice of the protagonists makes the difference. And a few other elements as well. Night Games opens the record with a slow build-up, resulting in an epic climax. The Answer, according to the press release tale of love, desire and loss, continues the journey into the sweet unknown. The already mentioned guitars dominate Liar’s Kiss and give the tune a desperate loneliness. And we’re only at track three right here, boys and girls. DARKNESS FALLS celebrate loneliness and nightly tranquillity in perfection and even manage to add a little element of hope to it. Not bad.
Rich references
Pretty much all 11 tracks of the duo’s new record stick to similar schemes. Dark synthesizer sounds team up with finest CURE-like guitars while the two protagonists caress the listener with their hypnotizing vocal work. COCTEAU TWINS, is that you? Every now and then familiar pop references will cross your way. Midsummer Wail resembles JOY DIVISION samples while Thunder Roads breathes the energy of DEPECHE MODE‘s Black Celebration era. Dance And Cry is packed with plenty of great moments with the pumping My Father Told Me (He Was Wrong) truly being one of the highlights. DARKNESS FALLS might not add new facets to the old fascination for darkness but they deliver a very satisfying piece of bittersweet goth pop that is highly recommendable for all those who are not afraid to give the demons of the night a hug from time to time.
DARKNESS FALLS’ second full-length ‘Dance And Cry’ delivers bittersweet and sinister synthpop for all those who’d like to avoid the light from time to time.
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