Danish band Blue Foundation are known for their mix of cinematic dream pop, shoegaze and electronics which has featured in films such as Twilight and Miami Vice and TV shows such as CSI: Miami and The Vampire Diaries. There`s a new album ‘Close to the Knife’ out this month
Title track ‘Close to the Knife’ seems like a reaffirmation of love which is not reciprocated. A deeply ethereal offering that brought to mind Julee Cruise`s `Falling` the Twin Peaks soundtrack. The song tells a bittersweet story of love, longing, and a connection that can never fully materialise. The person always disappears in dreams, leaving a sense of unattainability. A mark tree with its ghostly chimes leads us into `The Fall` which has touches of restrained drum and bass melded with an illusory vocal delivery.
`Harsh Love` opens with a slightly off kilter beat with a female vocal that fades in and out as the number evolves. I read that `A Dreamers Dream` captures the connection with someone who shines like a star, burning brightly and wildly, filled with raw emotion and energy. There`s a fairly expansive feel with the vocals that have a kind of emotional and longing texture.
`Ecstasy in Space’ introduces a new member to the Blue Foundation lineup, Nina Dahlgaard Larsen in who provides vocals on this song. Singer and multi-instrumentalist Tobias Wilner shared that “I wanted to capture my feeling of floating high on feelings”. It does have a soaring gliding sensation about it. Los Angeles born and Brooklyn based occasional member of bar italia, Scarlet Rae features on `Highway Reverie` a sensitive and trance like composition.
`Blinded Light` has a kind of shimmer about it with restrained riffs and synth tones guiding us along this wavering almost minimalist submission. There`s a breathy celestial vibe to `Voyage to the Stars`, introspective and slightly melancholic. It appears to be a pensive journey in self-discovery, self-exploration looking for reassurance that what you seek, you will ultimately find.
The previous track bleeds into `God Machine` which is much more robust and heavier in sound and depth and maybe refers to a powerful, sentient entity or a concept. A “machine” possibly that manipulates reality and the laws of physics but requires infrastructure and resources to do so. It`s fairly minimalist but what isn`t being said here seems to have more resonance than what is. A feeling of unspoken emotions permeates `Shadow of Silence`. The feelings or passion that is shared is not obsessive but a little unnerving which the musical accompaniment mirrors. A reflection on a passed relationship possibly that still cuts deep.
The wonderfully titled `Copenhagen Mannequin` leads us out and has some twinkling almost glistening guitar chord riffs. A thoughtful number to close out on.
`Close to the Knife` offers a feeling of contentment and peacefulness throughout and well worth the three quarters of an hour required to absorb it and let it seep into your very essence or soul. Is it space pop, dream pop, downtempo or chill out, or indeed a combination of all of the above, whatever it`s classified as it`s absolutely delightful and you`ll be left with a real sense of serenity and satisfaction upon its conclusion.
Rating 9/10
