For a band with such momentum from internet hype, they certainly flew low under the radar when this album was released. This British band plays a melancholic take on dreary post-punk that carries an organic elegance in its sense of longing. The first song works for me as the undulating vocals glide over the strummed guitars gracefully. The vocals phrashing at times, remind me of a less whimsical version of Heartworms. "Daisy Crown" is more nuanced, and I find the bass anchoring it as the vocals weave around the instrumentation in a 90s alt-rock manner. It is almost more like the Cranberries' first album, which I always felt was influenced by the likes of the Cocteau Twins.
"Black Walnut" finds the organic tension being held by the guitar as the bass wanders. There is not as much Halloween in the DNA of these songs, though the metaphors here do wrestle with interpersonal darkness, and htey do have the elegance in the sway of their melodies. It dances in a hypnotic sonic spiral. Not really hooky in the traditional sense. You do hear more of her upper regiter in this song.
There is more of a grungy feel to 'Daughter," which sits outside of the bounds of post-punk. It's more like alternative rock. Her vocal delivery is marginally more aggressive; they do rock out like 60s occult psych on the chorus. It is not really a hard-driving song, but it still carries a dreamy sway until they stomp things into overdrive on the chorus. Their strength lies in the fact that they are actually playing instruments that are plugged in and do not have too much studio trickery to help them out. There are plenty of witchy vibes, even if they are not inspriing you to smoke a clove cigarette. I will give this one a 9.5.
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