English folk trio Daughter release “Stereo Mind Game” after years apart
The London-based trio known as Daughter have reunited after seven years to release their third album, titled Stereo Mind Game. The gloomy, folksy group has been previously known for its heartwrenching, mysterious sound. However, in Stereo Mind Game, Daughter moves towards a more optimistic style, while retaining their characteristic poetic lyricism.
The first of twelve tracks is the aptly named Intro, an instrumental track that starts off eerily quiet but builds into an orchestral, heavenly crescendo. This opener leads seamlessly into the next song, Be On Your Way. The sparse instrumentals combine with frontwoman Elena Tonra’s delicate vocals to create a very peaceful, calm song. “My soul estranged, I will meet you on another planet if the plans change,” Tonra sings of letting go of a long-distance relationship.
Party is a bedroom-pop-esque tune filled with fun guitar strokes and an upbeat drum. Tonra tells the listeners of her issues with alcohol in lyrics like, “I could stop if I want, I just don’t want to yet.” Daughter’s usage of simple instrumentals allows their greatest strengths, such as lyricism and vocals, to truly shine.
This is followed by Dandelion, a weaker link on the album. The mainstream, minimalist pop beat oversimplifies the beautiful, pining lyrics about waiting for someone to reply to a text. However, Neptune is a darker, eerie track more reminiscent of Daughter’s previous albums, and is beautifully executed. Male and female vocals harmonize in the outro, painfully asking, “How could I not tear you apart?”
Next on the album is Swim Back, a song reminiscent of something straight out of an indie coming-of-age movie soundtrack. The fuzzy, gritty guitar and sharp string arrangement highlight Tonra’s distorted vocals as she sings of a faraway lover. She longs to “find a hole in the ocean” in order to swim to her long-distance partner. This yearning track is viscerally flawless, a definite highlight on Stereo Mind Game.
Giving Swim Back a run for its money as the best track on the album, Future Lover is a soft, haunting ballad backtracked with a ticking clock and static. The catchy chorus provides a hopeful, happier look into the future with love-ridden lyrics like “Sweet nothings from a ghost in the room/It’s so heavy when I think of you.”
Wish I Could Cross the Sea provides the perfect end to this album, providing continuity with the theme of longing for connection and communication. The lyrics, “Wish I could cross the sea/Just to watch glistening far off streets with you,” perfectly sum up the pining exemplified throughout Stereo Mind Game.
The lush strings and warm guitars throughout the album add seamless cohesion to the project. While Daughter explores fragile, dark themes throughout the album, they are vulnerably learning to heal from their painful past in the sun-drenched Stereo Mind Games.