The UK already boasts an impressive array of folk artists and London-based trio Daughter are no exception. I say London-based pretty candidly however as two thirds of the band were born in mainland Europe, guitarist Igor Haefeli and drummer Remi Aguilella hailing from Switzerland and France respectively. Fronting the band is guitarist/vocalist Elena Tonra, captivating in her effortless delivery and honest storytelling approach.
Not To Disappear marks album number two for Daughter, a follow up to their excellent debut If You Leave. As impressive as If You Leave was however, many indie cynics including the permanently miserable critics at Pitchfork deemed the record spacious yet empty. It seems the bygone Jeff Buckley-esque era of filling a huge space with a small voice is lost on the millennials, the kind of music deemed redundant due to its unsuitability as a soundtrack to their awkward dancing in trendy looking, pretentious clubs with sticky floors and over the top prices. The truth is that folk is such a broad spectrum, anyone from the likes of the Eagles and early David Bowie up to more modern artists like Cara Dillon and Ben Howard all classify as folk. The point being that it’s criminally unfair to judge a record solely on the vocal delivery and more on the overall storytelling experience as a whole. Folk music has always been more of a progressive, prolonged journey as opposed to a shot in the arm and a quick fix.
Daughter went into the production of Not To Disappear craving a change of the formula. I wholeheartedly welcome change providing it isn’t for change’s sake. Thankfully the band didn’t overhaul the entire genetic makeup built up from their debut but rather added to the coding and filling out the spectrum. The album opens with “New Ways” which essentially forms the bond between this album and its predecessor. The intricate, weaving guitar melodies provide a wonderful cocoon of sound for the rest of the band to grow and stretch their wings. A sullen Tonra fills the gaps between the shoegaze-esque walls of sound, ironically with her own tales of emptiness. “I need new ways to waste my time” she murmurs, clawing at hope and fulfillment with a heavy heart and equally heavy steps. The sense of clinging on follows into “Numbers,” built around an underlying sense of bargaining as Tonra pleads “I feel numb, make me better/I feel numb in this kingdom.” The music itself acts as more than just a separate component however, instead grabbing the foreboding subject matter and dispersing it across a wider range. It’s very early Broods and it works well, with the intertwining guitars and trip hop style drums effectively providing a backdrop for Tonra’s lamenting.
There were moments when Not To Disappear caught me out though. I would never have expected Daughter to have a song like “No Care” in them. It’s frantic and emotionally charged, painting the scene of two people post-sex, weighed down by thoughts of an empty love and crushing guilt. “Alone/With You” narrates a feeling of being unable to find solace in itself or in other people. The feeling of being surrounded by people or with a significant other yet being totally void of engagement and connectivity. It’s the equivalent of those awkward silences during dates and social events when everyone proceeds to pull their smartphones out of their pocket/bag/bra and scroll their life away.
The deep end of Not To Disappear’s swimming pool comes in the form of “Mothers.” Tonra allures to the connection between mother and child and forms a metaphor of surrogacy and eventually loss from the chemical imbalance of carrying and letting go of a child. I’d go as far as to say this song is one of the album’s highlights but that would be an injustice to the rest of the tracks. The subject matter as well as the music is at times off kilter, more wandering in vain hope of finding its way. That’s not to say it’s an aimless expedition, more that it knows where it needs to be but is taking the hard way. I also personally found Tonra’s song writing extremely refreshing. Loneliness is a tired medium in music and when it isn’t done earnestly it can seem overly trite and contrived. What Daughter does differently is approach the subject from different angles. The metaphorical links in their lyrics all sound incredibly personal but likewise they reach out to the listener, enticing them to find key points in the story and focus hard on them. The songs sound very fulfilling live as well. I caught them at a show during their UK tour and the way Tonra captivates an entire room with her hushed voice is staggering. The band’s music demands a certain level of patience and they’ve reached a point in their career where their audience are more than happy to give it.
Not To Disappear is a superb effort. It’s a wonderful feeling for a music critic (I hate this word, but for a lack of a better one it will have to do) such as myself to still be taken aback by an album. This particular Daughter’s album may be surrounded by various veneers but peeling them away is a rewarding venture as the bare soul of Not To Disappear will leave you completely spellbound.
Rating: 4.5/5