Daughter’s sophomore album, Not to Disappear is a captivating compilation of emotion that demonstrates a new-found power while staying true to the band’s airy style. Recorded with revered producer, Nicolas Vernhes, the latest release takes on a whole new dimension with it’s ricocheting guitar lines and racing drums. The lyrics touch on the same themes of love and loss which dominated If You Leave and yet, this time each word seems to be uttered with confidence and touch on some greater truth of universal experience. The album is an overwhelming overflow of energy that washes over the listener and demands to be felt.
The first single, ‘Doing the Right Thing’ is a heart-wrenching exploration of the detrimental effects of Alzheimer’s. Tonra’s gentle vocals trail off as she sings, “But she isn’t coming back for me / Cause she’s already gone.” Her voice is eventually enveloped in a downward spiral of static that tangles the listener in chaos. Three tracks on the album, including this single are paired with beautiful videos by filmmakers Iain Forsyth and Jane Pollard. Based on a short story by author Stuart Evers’ the video for ‘Doing the Right Thing’ provides us with a chilling image of dementia as it takes over the lives of individuals and their families.
Halfway through the album, ‘Mothers’ is an account of the toll that motherhood takes on the body and the psyche. The track establishes a tender connection between mother and child and then cruelly severs it as Tonra sings, “When your face becomes a stranger’s I don’t know / You will never remember who I was to you.”
The seventh track, ‘No Care’ is a surge of manic energy and anger that drives the album forward. Tonra states, “No one asks me for dances because I only know how to flail.” It’s the first time we see the band break character and boldly embrace their awkwardness. There’s an aspect of confidence and self-loathing as the singer chants “I don’t care” over a winding guitar and a rushing snare. For anyone who previously wrote Daughter off as another indie-folk band that uses too much reverb and delves into overly melancholic lyrics, it’s time to give them another try. They’re setting themselves apart from the masses with this song.
The final track, ‘Made of Stone’ is reminiscent of the trio’s acclaimed single, ‘Youth’ . It explores the same ideas of detachment and numbness but with a more insightful weariness that draws our attention to the band’s maturity. It’s a gentle transition, easing us from the comfort of the album back into the depths of the real world.
After playing If You Leave on repeat for years and hearing Daughter play a handful of new tracks live back in November, I’ve been patiently awaiting the release of Not to Disappear. It’s clear that the album has been well worth the wait and the band have taken the time to establish a sound that is characteristically theirs. As Tonra sings, “I’ve been trying to get out/find a subtle way out/not to cross myself out not to disappear” it’s clear that the trio have put so much of themselves into the album and they are here to stay.
Words by Tamyra Denoon