Pardon the clichéd metaphor, but listening to Daughter live is like plunging into a cold shower on a disgustingly hot day. Refreshing, yet simultaneously confronting. It’s this seemingly contradictory duality that makes it so difficult to pigeonhole them. Vocalist, guitarist and founder of the London outfit, Elena Tonra has one of the most beautiful voices I’ve ever heard. Incredibly soothing, her ethereal tone is reminiscent of a restrained Florence Welch. A cathartic instrument, Tonra’s delicate vocals validated the beauty and necessity of minimalism in contemporary music. The aggressive part of the cold shower came in the form of Igor Haefeli. Rather than using a traditional bottleneck, Haefeli experimented in aesthetics by emulating the movements of a cellist by using a bow to distort and confront. By sliding his bow across his electric guitar, Haefeli created an creepy, synth-like vibrato. The drone guitar playing was mellow and sustained, complementing the melancholy echo of both lyrics and vocals. When this occurred, Daughter stopped being a folk band and started bordering on psych-folk. With that in mind, the distortion coupled with Tonra’s vocals also displayed an eerie resemblance to The xx. Halfway through the set, a fourth addition joined the stage as a third guitarist/keyboardist. Switching between guitar and synthesised key progressions, this anonymous multi instrumentalist became an integral part of the band, adding layer upon layer of atmospherics to the set. Daughter were overwhelmed by the energy of the crowd, constantly letting their audience know how appreciative they were of such a receptive bunch. Concluding their set with a peculiar rendition of Daft Punk’s hit Get Lucky, which unfortunately didn’t do anything for me due to its transformation into a down tempo ballad which almost bordered on indifference, Daughter were received by one of the most receptive audiences I have ever been a part of. Truly loved by Melbournians, you could see the blush in their cheeks a mile away. A brilliant set, Daughter were simultaneously uncanny and tranquil.
BY DINA AMIN
LOVED: Elena Tonra.
HATED: When it was all over.
DRANK: LL&Bs.
