My brother-in-law gave me a $50 iTunes gift card for Christmas. I felt pretty overwhelmed at first. Before I buy an album, I research it, listen to as many samples as I can, sleep on it, eat on it, and think about it for far too long. I'm not completely sure why. I think it comes down to wanting to really understand what I'm purchasing and to fully support the band or artist. In high school, I loved receiving a new CD in the mail. I would intently listen to the album whilst studying the artwork booklet and read the lyrics along with each song. I enjoyed soaking up the music as much as I could. This backstory is only to illustrate how I could feel overwhelmed buy a $50 iTunes gift card. So much to soak up! There had been one band that had been echoing in my mind though. Daughter. An English band with Elena Tonra, Igor Haefeli, and Remi Aguilella (Trios are always the best, by the way). I heard their song "Landfill" on an 8tracks mix and fell in love. Ultimately, I bought all of their music on iTunes. Today I just want to comment on the His Young Heart EP.
We open with "Landfill" and some heart-wrenching lyrics, so beautifully sung. "Throw me in the landfill, don't think about the conseque
nces . . . Leave me at the altar, knowing all the things you just escaped" And then you know this is going to be really good. Tonra's voice is so soft and sweet but painful and sort of dangerous at the same time. It's a very unique sound that I have been loving. Her phrasing is also unique and keeps me "on the edge of my seat". For example, how she phrases "this is tortuous electricity between both of us" is so different and just lovely on the ears.
"The Woods" brings out a minimal narrative but I was reminded of Joanna Newsom. Not so much in story telling but in breaking down a verse-chorus-verse set up. Through "The Woods" and "Candles" I feel like we're just sort of meandering with Tonra. When listening to Daughter, I feel like we're thinking outside of the box of composing. When you look at their lyrics, there is definitely a structure but Tonra's phrasing and singing makes me feel like we're free from any song structure.
We end this EP with "Switzerland" which starts with a simple accordian-sounding progression and builds with lovely harmonies and a growing drum beat. The crescendo and progression in this song is quite lovely and moving. Overall, I feel very inspired when listening to Daughter. Simple instrumentation, sweet harmonies and chord structures are given dimension with Tonra's vocal compositions and intriguing lyrics.
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