Vår

Vår are the electronic project of four Copenhagen-based musicians, including members of Lower and Iceage frontman Elias Bender Rønnenfelt. If previous releases from the other projects of Vår's members were any indication of a frowning morbid streak, No One Dances Quite Like My Brothers feels like the ultimate realization of these sulking Danes' darkest collective musical visions. On their debut full-length, Vår exhibit an ambition to spiral as far as possible down into some dark abyss while maintaining a constant impression of strange beauty. On single "The World Fell," Vår mix a forceful bass drum line and ominous synth with electronics reminiscent of '90s Eurodance. The authoritarian vocals reinforce the song's feeling of bleak obedience. Vår have suggested that No One Dances is more a product of literary influences than musical, drawing inspiration from the likes of Georges Bataille and Peter Shaffer. Indeed, the album certainly captures the aesthetic of a Bataille novel like Story of the Eye — you'll feel disturbed and horrified yet you're somehow unable to turn away. No One Dances Quite Like My Brothers features everything from horns and guitars to the sounds of broken glass and sampled sheet metal, all thrown together in some sort of beautiful darkness. The album's cover is simply a mirror, as if to suggest that No One Dances features the kind of music by which you might re-examine yourself and stare into your soul.