170 Russell, Melbourne
Monday April 11, 2016 :
Daughter returned to Australian stages last week in support of their sophomore album Not To Disappear; their sold out Melbourne show at 170 Russell falling, quite fittingly, on a very cold night.
As Elena Tonra, Igor Haefeli and Remi Aguilella took to the stage, the crowd was delighted by the addition of keyboardist/guitarist Lucy Parnell (I think it’s safe to call her a touring member now).
As the Londoners launched into the familiar guitar slides of ‘How’, the room beamed with smiles. While the new album may be a little faster paced, Daughter’s sentiment remains unchanged; they are writing melodically solid songs that connect with people.
In fact, the juxtaposition of old material and newer songs highlighted just how far the band has come production wise. The pumping ‘No Care’ seemingly a world away from the swirls of If You Leave’s ‘Amsterdam.’
Speaking of old material, the absolute highlight of the evening was Tonra’s melancholic rendition of the heart wrenching ‘Shallows.’ Described by Haefeli as the “depressing song” of the set, no other song was delivered with as genuinely. Not even the full crowd sing along of ‘Youth,’ or the desperate rhythm of ‘Numbers’ could top it.
Torna’s onstage banter offered glimpses into her shy yet lovely personality as she joked about the number of drinks she had on stage (3 in case you were wondering).
Despite the stellar musical performance, the sound mixing left a lot to be desired. The whole set seemed incredibly quiet (to the point where the chatter of bar staff was audible) and the bass was either drowning out Tonra’s delicate vocals, or non-existent at all.
All in all, I was suitably impressed with the performance, and look forward to further studio offerings from the band. They are truly on the up and up.
Reviewer and Photographer: Cormack O’Connor
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