When I sat down with If You Leave, I put on my critical face and prepared for a typical deconstructing, drawing out weaknesses and searching for the proverbial cream. But in the end, I came away with an unfamiliar feeling. The experience did not follow my default method of simply separating what sounds right, what sounds wrong, and what’s left over. Instead I discovered an album which I was drawn to on a personal level almost more so than on a musical one. Though only a handful of individual tracks truly struck me, those that didn’t still left me feeling like I would after a deep personal conversation: engaged, reflective, understood.
Much of the album’s appeal comes from the gorgeous and deliberate vocals of Daughter’s Elena Tonra. Tonra at times conveys the nonchalance of Fiona Apple, while other times her focused and impassioned vocals resemble those of a calmer and more muffled Florence Welch. The London-based group was founded in 2010, initially as a solo product by Ms. Tonra which was eventually expanded to include Igor Haefeli on guitar and Remi Aguilella on drums. If You Leave is the group’s first full-length album after three EPs.
As I said, while the album as a whole is relatable and soothing, only a handful of tracks struck me, but those that did struck with fury. Residing in its rightful place at number 6 in our Best Songs of 2012, Daughter’s soul-wrenching “Smother” exposes Tonra’s ability to express a crippling pain and ease it into the chest of her listeners. Sure, that may not sound pleasant, but there’s something to be said for an artist whose confessions can so thoroughly manipulate your emotions. The album consistently places a clear emphasis on Tonra’s vocals and lyrics, but the catchy guitar hook and thundering percussion of “Youth” shows that breaking that trend may challenge “Smother” for the album’s best product. Though the track reinforces If You Leave‘s tragic themes, its sound conveys a subtle glimmer of hope, that the pains of youth are real and lingering but also that there is a bittersweet beauty in recklessness and heartbreak.
Daughter has created an album that feels much like a thoughtful conversation with an old friend. Although I’ve come away with only a few tracks that stick with me, Daughter’s If You Leave is an elegant and poetic contribution which mustn’t be under credited.
If You Leave