Communions and the jagged indie rock good telling of "Learn to Pray"

"In a city with a fever / The temperature is rising / Lost in endless pleasure / Leaves run wild with sap"

From Denmark based Communions' sophomore full length "Pure Fabrication", the societally deconstructing "Learn to Pray" is a delicious guilty pleasure. When I first heard it, with my head dizzy from one to many errands run through foggy streets while listening to one too many vapid pop songs, it felt like a divergent breath of fresh air (that I could actually see through). The airy bass line, tumbling beat, cagey rhythms and perfectly cast vox by Martin Rehof, spouting poetically vague intriguing lyrics, made me think of a mind bending amalgam of Lou Reed and Thom Yorke who had absorbed Bono performances for days on end while restrained and doped up like 'Alex' in "A Clockwork Orange". I don't say this with any derision. I absolutely love what the Rehof bother's are conjuring up here. I have read the lyrics repeatedly and revel not only in the words but the way in which they are tied to Martin's melodic framework, the surprising sustains, the phrasings rushed and stepped back so artfully. Communions with the Rehof brothers at the helm, Martin, on vocals and guitar, and Mads, on bass, never disappoint, never cease to dazzle me with their artistic choices.

“‘Learn to Pray’ is told from the perspective of someone powerlessly witnessing a culture in the midst of its collapse, and wishing to take a distance from it.” -Martin Rehof

I have not had the chance to step into "Pure Fabrication", I have been in the fog after all, but I do look forward to it.

-Robb Donker Curtius

* * *

THE FACTS AS WE KNOW THEM - PRESS NOTES:


spotify
apple
bandcamp
twitter 
facebook 
instagram 
youtube 
soundcloud


Few Danish bands have been so far around the block at such a young age as Communions.

In 2014, while still in highschool and still shaking dust from the rafters of Mayhem — Copenhagen’s famed underground venue — Communions released their debut EP Cobblestones. The release marked the beginning of a long and productive streak for the band, who followed it up with the 2015 Communions EP, the 2017 album Blue, a string of self-released singles and an EP, Flesh and Gore, Dream and Vapor, in 2019. Now Communions have joined Tambourhinoceros with a new, reshaped constellation.

Communions’ Rehof brothers — Martin (vocals and guitar) and Mads (Bass) — have decided to continue at the helm of the band after the departure of their long-time bandmates Jacob van Deurs Formann and Frederik Lind Köppen (although the two still feature in the forthcoming Communions recordings). Letting their brotherly musical connection take center stage, the Rehof brothers have assembled a new five piece constellation around themselves going forwards, adding even more depth to their indie rock.

Communions’s early work drew inspiration from the underground scene’s punk cynicism, evidenced by their lofi debut EP which was recorded — with amps blaring — straight onto a USB microphone. Communions’ next two EPs and debut album saw the band refine their craft of songwriting and production while riding a wave of international attention and festival performances. Their forthcoming music now represents another shift in the Communions aesthetic. Marked by sharp cultural criticism, self reflection, and artistic commentary of a grand scale, Communions’ new music takes the signature indie rock from the dark clubs of their youth and merges it with full-fleshed cerebral critique and symbolism.

Communions, Denmark, indie rock, alternative rock, new album, "Pure Fabrication", Martin and Mads Rehof, poetic lyrics, societal, emotional reflections, cerebral critique and symbolism,