Daughter has blessed our ears with a second single from the much anticipated Not to Disappear, to be released on the 15th of January 2016. Contrary to Numbers' refrain, "I feel numb in this kingdom", the icy sound of this track leaves you feeling all of the emotions that are forgotten in the rush of a day to day existence. Lyrically, musically, production-wise, this is yet another masterpiece.
The song begins minimally and builds to gritty high point with the repeated phrase, “You better make me better”. This progression is both original and incredibly subtle. Perhaps akin to the writer’s rule of showing rather than telling, the audience is hardly aware of the journey they are taking until reaching its destination. And a profound destination it is! Consistent with Daughter’s prior work, the song has a distant quality to it whilst provoking intimate reflection in the listener.
In terms of content, it is difficult to say exactly what Numbers is about. The music video is appropriately sinister, depicting a woman in a red dress moving through a city at night, and witnessing a series of disturbing events. Although the lyrics are brought to life in the short film accompanying the track, it is difficult not to understand the song to be about feelings that run deeper than the physical realities of life. The dark poetry of Daughter’s lyrical content resonates with the inner turmoil that, it may be argued, is the result of a conscious experience of the world.
The melancholy is cathartic. Daughter does this well. It is a cold landscape, but it is a comforting one. As in Doing the Right Thing, vocalist Elena Tonra relies heavily on the cool dissonance of her voice against a darkly atmospheric musical piece. The clarity of Tonra’s voice makes for a pure sound against a gritty electric guitar and bass driven backdrop. This fusion moves away from the more subtle, perhaps feminine guitar work of If You Leave and .
Not to Disappear is available for pre-order on iTunes. Upon placing your order, you will receive Numbers and Doing the Right Thing to tide you over until the full album is released.
