Lonnie Harvis

If You Leave

TLDR: A little over 45 minutes of atmospheric, emotional indie music perfect for relaxing in your favorite memories. Or for putting you to sleep.

So, how do I describe the band Daughter? How, indeed...

Ok. Ok, ok, ok. To start with, Daughter is actually a London-based trio comprised of singer Elena Tonra, guitarist Igor Haefeli, and drummer Remi Aguilella. Not a description, I know, but a launching point.

I first came across a Daughter music video thanks to a YouTube spiral and was immediately grasped by this marriage of Elena’s haunting voice somehow finding space to shine amongst wailing guitars and booming drums. This video was for their song Youth and I watched it repeated for a solid 30 minutes and found myself fully hooked. After just being lost in the music for that time, I finally realized they had put the pain of the youth (and the not-so-youthful) to song. You could go ahead and truly call me a fan at this point.

From there I had to find the full album that Youth was on, which ended up being If You Leave. I was not disappointed by the full offering that Daughter put forth, even if the other songs didn’t hypnotize me the same way Youth did. What did happen is that I heard a record with the ability to transport me to another time and place. An incredibly trite statement, yes, but appropriate for me. The trio uses their instruments to create dynamic, evocative earscapes for people to get lost in. Songs start as whispers and crescendo to climax to almost to loud levels. Some songs remain as whispers the whole time. Reverb is used to make Tonra sound like she has a chorus backing her up. Daughter used technique upon technique to craft these worlds for the listener.

Now, to be honest, I don’t listen to Daughter for the lyrics. Which I feel guilty for because I know that Elena works very hard her songwriting, as can be witnessed throughout the album. The thing is, she is like the IRL version of the Beret Girl in the Cafe from An Extremely Goofy Movie, if Elena performed slam poetry. I know that a story is being told with great meaning but the metaphors and flowery language go right over my head. A humbling reminder that I’m not as smart or creative as I’d like to think.

Take Still for example, a song that I believe is about continuing to stay together in a bad relationship. There is the line Cold smoke seeping out of colder throats. I don’t know what that means! Is that literal? A metaphor? I have no clue but it sounds amazing when she sings it.

I’m well aware that If You Leave and bands like Daughter is not for everyone. This genre of music had its heyday and is pretty much played out now. Pretty sure some people will be able to use this album as a sedative. But I’m fine with that. I’ll just take it to mean that the world where you’ve found yourself is so relaxing, you’re comfortable taking a nap.

Favorite songs: 1. Youth 2. Tomorrow 3. Shallows

Extra material:
“Youth” music video
Daughter x Life is Strange
Tiny Desk concert

Sean Rodgers

Dedicated Side B

TLDR: This album is the embodiment of summer flings. Quick. Cheerful. Leaves you lonely and wanting more when it's done.

I like to listen to Carly Rae Jepsen. That's ok. I think her breakout hit from 2011, Call Me Maybe, was over played. Making a career keep going after such a hit like that is very hard to do. But nearly 10 years later Carly Rae Jepsen is still making songs about love and desire. Now she has so much more flavor and style. If 2011's Kiss is summer love hyped up on Red Bull with a megaphone on the beach yelling out it's phone number and Instagram account, Dedicated Side B is it's the grown up version who knows how to quietly relay their love... while breaking out the megaphone when needed.

Musically, Carly Rae Jepsen has always had a wide influences in her music. That is one thing that has always drawn me to her. THe other thing is her beautiful voice. That gorgeous voice is one show at the very beginning with This Love isn't Crazy with Jepsen showing off an operatic vibe. The song that steals the album for me is Window. Self negative talk is something that me and my wife argue about all the time. I call it self-defecating humor. She says no. Jepsen would clearly side with my wife on this in that one's self talk can be toxic and needs to be influenced positively by outsiders to right the mental ship gone astray.

Great albym by Carly Rae Jepsen a big recommend!

Top 3 tracks:

1. Window
2. Let's Sort the Whole Thing Out
3. Comeback

Information:Artist: Daughter
Album: If You Leave
Release Date: March 18, 2013

Track list:

1. Winter
2. Smother
3. Youth
4. Still
5. Lifeforms
6. Tomorrow
7. Human
8. Touch
9. Amsterdam
10. Shallows