5 Feb 2012
Reviews
Review | Daughter
There’s a new London-based folk act creating quite a stir on our stereos at the moment, in the form of vocalist Elena Tonra and her guitarist boyfriend, Igor Haefeli. Under the name Daughter, they have been playing live together since November 2010 and their latest EP is released by Communion in the UK, a fairly new label known for its repertoire of folk artists. But don’t dismiss them as yet another twee girl-plus-guitar act – these mournful lovebirds have staying power. The release of their debut EP, His Young Heart, back in April 2011, quickly attracted attention, along with well-deserved praise.
However it is their most recent offering, The Wild Youth EP, which is proving to be something to get excited about. Drawing on the dark, haunting tones of their previous release, The Wild Youth unleashes the kind of emotional intensity you might find in a heavy romantic novel in less than twenty minutes of playing time, while maintaining a sharp optimistic drive throughout. “I think I should be a little more confident in myself, in my skin,” Elena sings determinedly in the opening track, ‘Home’.
Themes of identity, lost love, and longing run throughout. “I can’t live without you, take me to your house… take me home,” is not so much a request, but an order; the unmet demands of a desperate lover. Elena’s voice is soft, ghostly, but far from feeble. In each delicately met note, you hear the battle of a woman not quite recovered from an aching heart, but she’s getting there, and getting stronger for it.
‘Youth’, the track from which the EP takes its name, carries a more stripped-bare sound, matched by the lyrics: “If you’re still breathing, you’re the lucky ones.” Elena’s lyrical talent lies in her honesty, her ability to lend elegance to the bluntest of statements.
The final track, simply named ‘Love’, could not be a more perfect ending to such a brief encounter. Here, Igor’s haunting melodies create textures so engaging you might almost feel yourself in Elena’s shoes, experiencing the same heartbreak of which she sings – as a lover unable to forgive. A true collaborative effort, this striking – yet brief – listening experience proves Daughter are a glacial force to be reckoned with. Not bad for an act barely a year old.
Maggie
