Communions – Blue

Denmark’s Communions Release Debut Album

Communions, a four-man outfit out of Copenhagen, began in 2014 when brothers Martin and Mads Rehof joined forces with high school friends Jacob van Deurs Formann and Frederik Lind Köppen to create music. This month, the group released their debut album, Blue, through Fat Possum Records, a label known to collaborate with notorious bands (e.g. The Black Keys and Iggy and the Stooges). Communions cite Roy Orbinson, Annie Lennox and Savage as being some of their biggest influences, but their previous EPs proved that they also are not afraid to take risks and forge their own sound. This time it’s even better. Blue is a collection of eleven songs that unveil the journey Communions have experienced along the way, through wishful and at sometimes forlorn vocals, amped up with sweet guitar riffs and sensitive lyrics.

Blue represents everything and anything that pertains to love, desire, taking chances and trying new things, all captured through a mature approach that employs an indie, post-punk-inflected pop sound. The album’s first track, “Come on I’m Waiting,” screams the vintage ’80s feel – much like The Cure – that the band have become notorious for; yet this time it has evolved into a clearer sound that is now very much their own. This sets the tone for the rest of the album. It seems as if Communions have become more aware of their strengths and weaknesses as both individuals and as a group, which has allowed them to come of age with a more distinct and steady sound.

The definition of communion is, “the sharing or exchanging of intimate thoughts and feelings, especially when the exchange is on a mental or spiritual level.” Communions’ debut album emphatically represents this theme throughout. The most fascinating element of Blue is lead singer Martin Rehof’s vocals. His higher-pitched voice delivers eloquently haunting lines that are impossible to ignore. Blue is a well-produced album that can be described as delicate, expressive, articulate and soothing. The record is guitar-heavy, dreamy and a bit wistful, which makes it perfect for either a cold rainy day or a calm night out in the city.