In less assured hands, the coolly understated aesthetic tradition of northern Europe evoked by Copenhagen’s name might strike a pretentious note. Neil G Henderson, Kirsa Wilkenschildt and co, however, deal in unusually subtle orchestral pop, and their Sweet Dreams… is the stuff of deliciously penumbral slumbers. Drawing on sources as diverse as Eberhard Weber, Scott Walker and Ralph Vaughan Williams, and directed by Henderson’s lugubrious vocals, Copenhagen play out their quiet dramas with minimal instrumentation and admirably spare arrangements. The Weimar cabaret tradition that underpinned their debut takes a back seat, although a decidedly sinister feel persists on the splendid “Revolving Day”.
Advertisement