Working on a soundtrack is a double-edge sword for an artist. He needs to remain loyal to his signature sound, while simultaneously making sure that he is responding to the theme for which the music background should be created. When the goal of recording music is video game, I guess the task is even more sweaty. Just as in the cinema world, there are video game score composers whose work transcends the "genre". For example, Jeremy Soule (Guild Wars, The Elder Scrolls).
When a relatively young band decides to try it out in the video game niche, the question that arises is Are they up to the challenge? British trio Daughter proved with Music from Before The Storm, composed for the sequel of the game Life is Strange, that they were ready for the challenge. If we compare this album with previous two in their "regular" discography, it could be targeted as an EP expended with collection of instrumental compositions. A great quality of Music from Before The Storm is that you can enjoy it separately, ergo, without being familiar with the video game it supports.
The album unfolds with beautiful and melancholic instrumental composition Glass. Fyi, melancholy penetrates the whole record. Burn It Down sounds steady and rebellious, while Flaws sails through post rock waters supported by guitar distortions and atmospheric female vocal.
The Right Way Round is a stellar guitar number that takes you back to the 90s. Departure, Witches, and Voices contain rich music soundscapes we are used go getting from 65daysofstatic and Sigur Ros. All I Want offers Elena Tonre's energetic vocal interpretation. If this is a herald of the new direction the band is going to take with their music, I can not wait for their upcoming studio album.
Music From Before The Storm is a video game soundtrack, but it is also a music experiment that shows how Daughter preserved their aura besides being restricted by the demands of the task. Yeah yeah yeah.
