COMMUNIONS - PURE FABRICATION
There has been a clear line of evolution from the twee sugar-rush of Communions’ Cobblestones, however with their latest release Pure Fabrication, this march of progress has, in many ways, come juddering to a psychedelia-infused halt.
Despite Pure Fabrication only being their second full-length album, the brothers Rehof have been busy boys indeed since the release of their debut EP in 2014. There has been a clear line of evolution from the twee sugar-rush of Cobblestones, to the more driving post-punk of singles like ‘Summer’s Oath’, and more recently delving into groove-laden tunes on 2017’s full-length Blue. However, with their latest release Pure Fabrication, this march of progress has, in many ways, come juddering to a psychedelia-infused halt.
Thematically, Pure Fabrication follows a compelling narrative as “a parody of a coming-of-age story”, according to lead singer Martin Rehof. Album opener ‘Bird of Passage’ begins the story with a young man’s desire for freedom and youthful rebellion, set to similarly soaring instrumentation. However, as the album progresses, the lyrics begin to question the nature of these passions. Tracks like ‘Is This How Love Should Feel?’ are laced with despondent confusion, and by the end of the album, ‘The Gift of Music’ comes across completely disillusioned with the depressing reality of adult life, seeking solace in old records. The stark vocal lies bare atop an uneasy arpeggiating guitar, and the whole track disappears as quickly as it appeared.
In modern indie music, one finds that all roads lead to Manchester. Whilst not quite Copenhagen’s answer to the Gallagher brothers, Martin Rehof has a certain swagger in his delivery, although it never seems to fit him as comfortably as the signature high-register howl that he has honed in previous releases. Similarly, the instrumentals in ‘Learn to Pray’ and ‘History’ wave the flag for that peculiarly Mancunian psychedelic funk sound of the Happy Mondays or the Stone Roses. However, it comes as a great shame that Communions at times seem a little too indebted to the latter group in particular. The lazy rhythms overlaid with chiming guitar licks begin to sound stale almost as soon as the album starts to play, and the heavier parts of the album, such as ‘Humdrum’, could have been taken from a Kaiser Chiefs B-sides album in their brash pomp.
Despite these flaws, there are some truly anthemic moments on Pure Fabrication. The bookending tracks are highlights, and songs like ‘Celebration’ and ‘Cupid’ are fuzzy, hazy tunes driven by impressive vocal performances. ‘Signs of Life’ is a crisp slice of psychedelia, and ‘Hymn’ has an attractively moody skulk to it. However, the songs are more often than not let down by uninspired, drab instrumentals and a strange production style which seems to be attempting to use as many effects as possible, like an overexcited teenage guitarist who has just got their hands on their first pedalboard. Whilst the intentions may be earnest, this approach doesn’t often pay off. Nearly every guitar part has been overly processed, with more modulating pitch effects than a Smiths tribute band fronted by Mac Demarco.
In 2017, Communions delivered a splendid debut album in Blue, which managed to sound razor-sharp whilst working within a very tired genre. With this in mind, it is understandable that the still-young Copenhagen band would be trying very hard to build on this strong start. The Rehofs are incredibly talented songwriters and their quest for experimentation is noble, which is why it is such a shame that Pure Fabrication is far from a total success.
Louis Marlow
★★★☆☆