LISTEN TO THE NEW DAUGHTERS ALBUM

Recently while I was gettin’ chatty with metal counterparts on the year’s new releases, I noted that nothing was really blowing me away just yet. Little did I know that a few days later, I would get that “WOW factor” album I had been waiting for. Ladies and gentlemen…Daughters:

Daughters and I go back a few years. Soon after the release of their spazzy grind masterpiece, Canada Songs in 2003, I saw them tear the roof off a  multi-purpose room at some random college in NJ. (Fond memories, indeed.) When Hell Songs arrived in 2006, I was shocked to hear they had toned things down, and that their singer switched to cleaner Rockabilly-esque vocals. But I was stoked when I realized it totally worked for them! And now comes their self-titled release, Daughters, which I will argue is their best work to date, and probably one of the best albums I’ve heard in years.

Daughters is not much like the first album, and not quite like their second either. It’s got its own revitalized flavor. Think of a more polished Jesus Lizard, or perhaps a more revved up Arab on Radar. (Lots of people seem to have no idea who I’m talking about when I refer to Arab on Radar, so if you don’t either, please acquaint yourself.) In other words, this record is exhilarating. Songs like “The First Supper” and “Our Queens” maintain a sort of “classic” jerk back-and-forth schtick that the band mastered a long time ago. And then there’s smoother rock jams like “The Hit” and “The Theatre Goer” that have those epic sorta riffs that’ll hit you right there. Daughters are one of those bands that just understand what the fuck I want to hear: reckless, groovy, oddly danceable…noise. And the fact that they were able to achieve this in more than one way over the years shows what a superior beast they truly are. Yay for bands who don’t write the same album over and over!

Then there’s the bad news: An album I find so incredibly awesome, is an album I will probably never hear live. Prior to this record’s release, there was some sort of spat amongst Daughter’s members, causing what I guess could be considered a “break-up.” They haven’t explicitly SAID that the band is completely done, but they apparently have no plans to tour, so….it’s not looking good. Such a shame, considering this is already a high contender for my album of the year.

Check out Daughters on MySpace. And dagnabbit, get the album! Maybe if we can generate enough buzz, they’ll come to their senses and get back together! Maybe…?

-Elise