Live Review: Daughter, Fractures

Fractures and his band set the smoky, crowded room alight from their first song. The slow and strongly driven beats are a perfect, mellow start to the night. While playing a brand new song, their sound becomes a little heavier. The crowd already love Fractures' unique ballad-rock. The venue is full to the brim, the dancefloor is packed and the excitement in the room builds by the second. The sombre, soothing tunes wash over the audience, creating a soft, floating mood. Fractures' crooning voice is smooth and he nails each note, flawlessly.

Daughter appear on stage to cheers from the crowd. The stairs leading from the dancefloor to the bar are loaded with people craning for the best view. The passionate ache in Elena Tonra's voice is clear from the first note. Daughter are calm onstage, simple and relaxed in their movements — their music speaks for itself.

The crowd erupts during every break between songs, only silenced by the strum of a guitar. "Don't bring tomorrow 'cause I already know/I'll lose you" — Tomorrow's lyrics cut through the crowd. A blue wash casts an eerie glow over the band as they play, reflecting the music as the lights flash and dim. The crowd is awed into swaying, enchanted by the music. There is a distinct tinkling but simultaneously raspy tone to Tonra's voice that makes the delicate guitar work and thrumming drum beats all the more appealing.

Despite the ethereal beauty of new songs such as How and Numbers, it is Daughter's older ones that draw the biggest reactions. The way the songs echo throughout the venue adds atmosphere to Daughter's haunted dream-pop. There is a feeling to their music that lingers between songs. Daughter's "fun song" (as they call it), Home, changes the mood, bringing up the tempo. The band show they're not limited to ballad-style softness, but can also take on rock and make it their own. "I wasn't ready for that," Tonra laughs with the crowd as the next song seems to start without her. Her ability to acknowledge this makes her all the more charming.

The entire set feels as if we are being let into the band's private thoughts. Youth, one of the more well-known songs, has the crowd singing along. They end to explosive cheers and we leave a very gratified crowd.