STARS: 2/5
Three-piece Daughter is known for lead singer Elena Tonra’s melodic vocals and emotional lyrics, but listeners won’t find much of either in its latest album, “Music From Before the Storm.”
The title is to be taken very much literally. The album consists of songs for the video game “Life Is Strange: Before the Storm,” making it the England-based trio’s first soundtrack.
The soundtrack is written from the perspective of the game’s main character, Chloe, making it different than anything Daughter has done previously. The band experimented with heavier sounds in order to mirror the loud personality of Chloe, guitarist Igor Haefeli said in an interview with DIY.
These heavier sounds are featured in many of the album’s instrumentals including “Dreams Of William” which contains heavy electric guitar. The drum and cymbal combination in “The Right Way Around” even sounds like a rock song upon first listen.
The album’s standouts are two of its only non-instrumental tracks, “Burn it Down” and “All I Wanted.”
“Burn it Down” explores the contrast of Chloe having a reputation as a “good kid” while she struggles internally. The introduction and airy chanting as well as Daughter’s vocals call to mind the influence of indie rock band Florence + the Machine.
“All I Wanted” begins with chords that sound like the introduction to a punk rock song. These chords continue as its lyrics reflect on the relationship between wanting and being wanted, cleverly using repetition of the word “wanted” to like the two together.
Daughter made a name for itself with its 2013 single “Youth.” One did not have to look too far to find the honest, haunting tune automatically playing on a Tumblr blog playlist.
Four years later, the band has struggled to match this success again and it’s unlikely this album will change that. To do so, Daughter will need to pair the emotional intensity for which it’s known with a tune that stays with the listener long after the song ends.
It will be interesting to discover if the heavier, rock-leaning tones featured in this album will influence their next work — helping Daughter progress artistically — or if the sounds are just a one-time deal, confining the trio to the predictable indie status quo.
Listen to “Music From Before The Storm” below.
