Daughter, St John at Hackney

Taking folk as their starting point, Daughter set grief-stricken lyricism against expansive ambient backdrops. Signed to the prolific indie label 4AD, there is more than a hint of ‘90s shoegaze in their music. Their songs glisten and shimmer in the way of Slowdive and Cocteau Twins; Elena Tonra’s vocals dive and swoop over elegant compositions.

Undoubtedly, theirs is a well-trodden path, but the execution and sincerity is compelling. On their debut album If You Leave, Tonra penned some of 2013’s most blackly arresting lyrics: “In the darkness I will meet my creators”, she sings on ‘Youth’, “they will all agree, I’m a suffocator.” The self-critical bite of her words find perfect counterpoint in the melodiousness of her delivery.

Their second album Not to Disappear is marked for release in January 2016, and lead single ‘Doing the Right Thing’ finds the trio in rude health. The lyrics are the band’s most ambitious to date: a poetic outpouring of loss and reclusion.

At first glance, Daughter might seem like just another modishly-attired indie outfit, but closer listening reveals a band with depths to be plumbed. They play St John at Hackney on November 19.