Darkness Falls Dance And Cry

Justly feted for their debut LP ‘Alive in Us’, a string of exquisite live performances, and the single ‘Hey!’ – the most played tune on Danish radio in 2011 - Copenhagen-based duo Darkness Falls return with ‘Dance And Cry’, an album of atmospheric pop noir that - even in March – will surely stake a claim to be one of this year’s musical highlights come Christmas. Defying convention, Josephine Philip and Ina Lindgreen effortlessly blend a host of rock and pop influences, the textures and structures of electronic dance music and the haunting atmospheres of arthouse cinema soundtracks to produce an album of deep longing and icy cool – all drawn together by impeccable vocals that embody a decidedly glamorous melancholy. It’s an album that will tick all the boxes for a diverse range of listeners; as they themselves put it: ‘In our music, there is something for the mind, something for the heart and something for the feet too.’ The dramatic opener sets the tone, a torchsong that seductively entices the listener to ‘come out and join me for night games’ over layers of sustained synths. A slow house kick drum adds momentum, as one carefully curated sound after another enriches the musical palette till it builds to a heart-stirring climax. The haunting single ‘The Answer’ – a tale of love, desire and loss - maintains the quality, as a Cure-like guitar motif circles over a beautifully textured beat of found sounds. Lush and yearning, it’s instantly unforgettable. From this point on, it’s clear that picking favourites will be a thankless task: this is an album of consistent brilliance. From the plangent drama of ‘Liar’s Kiss’ to the electro-tinged instrumental of ‘Thunder Roads’ via the pop drama of single ‘Hazy’, simply everything is a highlight.