Album Reviews

Title: Sweet Dreams...


Stereoplay (Germany)
February 2006

''Stereoplay' album of the month
click here for full review
Michael Sohn

Audio (Germany)
February 2006

''Audio' album of the month
click here for full review
Claus Böhm

Uncut (UK)
November 2004

"...Copenhagen deal in unusually subtle orchestral pop, and their Sweet Dreams... is the stuff of deliciously penumbral slumbers."
Sharon O'Connell

Q (UK)
December 2004

"Sweet Dreams... paints singer Neil Henderson as a man for whom melancholy is a way of life."
Nick Duerden

PopinGays (France)
November 2004

"Il est impossible de ressortir indemne d'un tel voyage initiatique."
Cedric

CMU Music Network (USA)
16th November 2004

"...this collection of songs from Kirsa Wilkenschildt and Neil Henderson sneaks into your life, and mingles with your subconscious until the point where you cannot live or function without your daily fix."
SA

Title: Tales from the Forest


The Guardian
7 December 2001

"Copenhagen (who hail from London rather than Copenhagen) are of the Tindersticks school of crepuscular pop. Their debut album often seems as substantial as a wisp of smoke - a virtue in this context. So introverted are lugubrious singer Neil G Henderson and his seven colleagues that they appear to have been in separate rooms while recording their parts. But then, it would have taken considerable resilience to have been around Henderson during his contributions, because when in character he is an unnerving presence. Murmuring "Another battered bride hopes he doesn't hit the child" on Happy Ever After, he sounds as if he is teetering on the edge. Five-Year Diary, a glockenspiel-embellished tribute to diary-keeping, ends with the narrator's suicide, which sets us up nicely for the rest of the album. Violets is a dissonant duel between Henderson and backing singers Pauline and Jacqui Cuff, while Poison Kiss is a quiet nightmare of violin and ghostly whispers. Great stuff."
Caroline Sullivan

Uncut
January 2002

"Surreal, dark, melancholy show tunes.
Genuine eccentrics in an age of conformity, Copenhagen (from London) feature an eight-foot-six frontman in Neil Henderson, effervescent twins Jacqui and Pauline Cuff and around nine million instruments, including plaintive violins from sometime Jack bow-person Ruth Gottlieb. Their dark, theatrical cabaret could be placed between Tindersticks and Cousteau, but these jazz-tinged stories of love, betrayal and nightmares are above all individual. Something is wonderful in their state of mind, if not Denmark."
Chris Roberts

allmusic
December 2001

"After two excellent EPs, Copenhagen makes the leap to a full-length album with smoky, dramatic Tales From the Forest, laden with all the late-night jazz-touched moodiness anyone could want,..."
Ned Raggett

Murmur
November 2001

"There will always be a need for bands who are not afraid of challenging traditional limits and, when at the same time, it is done so elegantly and masterfully as is the case here, who can ask for more! Copenhagen is a definition of style and Tales of the Forest is tangible proof of this.
Every time you listen to it, new details are experienced and there is no doubt that this is a record that you never grow tired of listening to and one which you are never quite finished with. My candidate for the year's best album!"
Mads Flintholm (translated from Danish by Jane Rørdam)

Singles/EP Reviews

Title: Home


Melody Maker

“Sublimely discordant mariachi misery-guts. Like Nick Cave caught in some railings...”

All Music Guide (AMG)

“...the lush but never overwhelming music practically begs for cigarette smoke, low lighting, and crushed red velvet seats as further accompaniment. Wilkenschildt's keyboards and vibes add elegant shades to it all (and on "Caroline's Wedding," a bit of Beach Boys-circa-Smile piano), while Thompson's abilities on drums deserve special notice as well, especially on the quietly swinging title track. A live take on the song "Afterstorm" deserves mention, as it in fact only features two members; Henderson singing and Wilkenschildt on electric piano; giving an appropriately melancholic but also quite elegant performance."“
Ned Raggett

Strange Fruit

“Plucked strings, noir-keyboards and spy-thriller themes abound, and the song weaves a wicked romantic spell.
Copenhagen deserve to be huge. Afterstorm, a stark number with just Neil on vocals and Kirsa Wilkenschildt on electric piano, is a testament to the bands songwriting prowess, to their ability to put together music that is timeless and poignant. Its rare to hear something that is such a breath of fresh air, something that makes your heart soar and your spine tingle. Copenhagen, please release more records soon.”
Paul Haswell

PennyBlackMusic

"Copenhagen are both unorthodox and unique.
With songs as strong and as versatile as the ones displayed on this EP, it seems that Copenhagen are going to be the most exciting new musical acts of the year."
John Clarkson

Title: Raining Again


MOJO

“The weather changes for Copenhagen's Raining Again, a nigh perfect slice of jazz-noir: single of this month (and many others).”
Joe Cushley

Strange Fruit

“As heart-stoppingly gorgeous as anything from the new Lambchop album, or anything the Tindersticks have ever done, Copenhagen could be a band to watch Stirring stuff indeed.”
Paul Haswell

Time Out

“A lovely, late-night prowl around rain-slicked streets, where Tindersticks and Blue Nile skulk in the shadows and Barry Adamson shelters in a darkened doorway. Haunting, sophisticated, postmodern pop so cool it will have the non-smokers taking up the cheroot.”
Sharon O'Connell

Melody Maker

“Rather like what Scott Walker found in his Christmas Stocking...”

EveningStandard

“Copenhagen, with a debut single, Raining Again, that's a haunting, sombre and a twinkly gem of a song.” Samantha Ellis