If You Leave
by Daughter (UK)

From mozzmozz 05/28/2018 22:08 | #215720 | TOP COMMENT Vote up your preferred comments and the comments with the most votes will be flagged.

Debut album by London trio.
The first thing you notice is the claustrophobic atmosphere of all the tracks.
The vocals are breathy and sad, and there's a jangly guitar chiming away.
The songs build, glide and swoop. Quite lovely.

From buzzdainer 07/12/2017 15:31 | #194147 | TOP COMMENT Vote up your preferred comments and the comments with the most votes will be flagged.

I think there needs to be a subgenre of indie folk called sylvan folk. It would encompass all those artists whose music evokes dense old growth forests, undulating earth covered in moss and wildflowers, and places populated by woodland sprites and ancient spirits. It's music that conjures up a romantic mythical past that probably never really existed, or was wiped out by Black Plague. The Decemberists would fit into this genre, as would Fleet Foxes, and Midlake, and Florence + the Machine. I'm not sure about Sylvan Esso, though their name certainly would. And Daughter. Check out "Youth" from this album to get a sense of what I mean. It's not so much about the lyrical content--best summed up by the line "Most of us are bitter over someone"--but more about the nostalgic, wistful, dreamy, romantic feeling created by the swirls of guitar reverb and Elena Tonra's haunting vocals.

From O.T. 03/02/2017 14:45 | #186667

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From nitomano 12/24/2016 06:14 | #180885

Highlights: Shallows, Human, Youth, Lifeforms

From zdwyatt 10/22/2013 19:57 | #88903 | TOP COMMENT Vote up your preferred comments and the comments with the most votes will be flagged.

I guess I'd call this indie-folk, even though I have this internally catalogued as "sad bastard music." It's a devastatingly beautiful album and I have been trying to think of the word that sums it up adequately. I have seen others use the obvious "melancholy" and "brooding," as well as the more inspired "tidal." But I think I am going with "suffocating."

Enjoyed this. The lyrics were probably the most depressing I've heard, which is draws you in occasionally, but very quickly becomes tiring. Hearing someone moan for 45 minutes isn't always refreshing.

From Freddie55 03/20/2013 00:44 | #69066 | TOP COMMENT Vote up your preferred comments and the comments with the most votes will be flagged.

One of my favourite albums so far this year. That said, the naked tracks on the EPs that fed this album are more captivating and charming than these gauzy highly-produced tracks.