Daughter >> The lights dimmed and Elena floated on stage, shoulders hunched forward with a mousy walk. Her shy, fragile voice said something into the mic that I am sure everyone in the building didn't understand but still knew it was more adorable than kittens and puppies napping on a pony. Nobody minded they couldn't understand her except for the jagaloon behind me who shouted 'We can’t understand you!' Really, guy? Shut the fuck up.
The Fillmore was packed as Daughter crooned us her their melodic songs; yet there was an intimacy and a romance that made it seem like we are all just spying on Elena and her bandmates playing songs for each other in her bedroom. Her awkwardness and discomfort in between songs was obvious, which of course made everyone fall in love with her even that much more.
As the crowd professed their feelings openly with that guy shouts of 'I am so in love with you' and 'Marry me!', Elena would quietly mumble something then giggle like she was being told she was pretty for the first time. Considering how beautiful she is, the source of this shyness is quite intriguing. Just watch one of those weird YouTube videos where they play a song and show a slideshow of low resolution pictures and try not to end up staring into the screen with your chin resting on your palm, swooning with a goofy smile on your face and a twinkle in your eye.
During the songs, the audience was drop dead silent, as if we all agreed to be pin drop quiet so we could hear every nuance of each perfectly executed note as her angelic voice carried by powerful lyrics melted over us. One could argue that with Daughter, the lyrics come first as they are some of the most striking and poignant phrases I have heard, especially in this age of call and response party songs. I had to make sure not to pay to close attention to the words because if I did I might have ended up balling my eyes out. Just think of all the bands out I would miss out on because The Fillmore banned 'that weird Asian lady with really short hair and glasses that always comes to shows crying hysterically'. I’m not a lady…I’m a man…a man with feelings!
The room swayed from side to side in rhythm with the drums. They were tom-heavy, like Japanese Taiko drumming [that kind with a hundred guys in diapers], and alternated between Velvet Underground-esque tempos and very dance-able upbeats. The glass-like beauty of Elena’s voice was complimented by Igor’s eerie guitar sounds, smothered in rich effects. He would often use a violin bow to draw out painfully long melodic tones drenched in reverb and delay, sounding somewhere between love songs amongst whales and the harrowing call of Cthulu - the ancient one who dwells in the sea - all cohesively bound by a bass line that your ass could not ignore.
Daughter isn't for everyone, especially if you have the words 'three', 'doors' or 'down' in your top bands list. But they also aren't only for girls with Sylvia Plath quotes tattooed on the tops of their feet. Daughter’s ability to blend gripping, emotion-heavy lyrics with Elena’s perfect voice and a back beat that gets you on your feet makes them one of the most compelling groups we have today. Even if you like songs contain any references to 'Kryptoniiiiite', listen to their cover of Daft Punk’s “Get Lucky”, surely even you can see how incredible that is.
Before I go to cheer myself up by eating a pint of Häagen-Dazs in my underwear while watching all those Mama’s Family reruns I have, I will leave you with depressing Daughter lyrics.
I should go now quietly
For my bones have found a place
To lie down and sleep
Where all my layers can become reeds
All my limbs can become trees
All my children can become me
What a mess I leave
To follow
Setlist: Still * Amsterdam * Love * Landfill * Winter * Candles * Shallows * Human * Smother * Tomorrow * Youth * Home * ENCORE: Get Lucky
Carmichael
