Daughter, The Old Fire Station, Bournemouth

These kind of tours always have a certain something about them. The band books a relatively cosy run of dates, and in the time between going on sale and the gig, they explode in popularity, making it seem unbelievable that they’re playing such a venue. Bournemouth’s Student Union, The Old Fire Station, plays host to the last of Daughter’s current run of UK shows, and seems like a closet compared to the Shepherd’s Bush Empire that they are to headline in October.

Debut album ‘If You Leave’ has received a world of praise since its release a month ago, yet when they open with its closing track ‘Shallows’, it’s evident straight away that Daughter are a significant amount less delicate live than on record, with Elena Tonra’s vocals riding over waves of almost Sigur Rós-y ambience and piercing bowed guitars.

A cinematic sheen blankets the entire performance, not dissimilar to that of The xx, and is only broken by the upbeat, poppy ‘Human’ and Elena’s beautifully awkward stage chat. The singer couldn’t be less comfortable between songs, quietly musing about terrible nights out in Bournemouth nightclubs, but as soon as the first note rings out of the next track, it’s clear she wants to be nowhere else more.

The majority of ‘If You Leave’ is aired tonight, and although it’s broken up by older tracks ‘Candles’, ‘Love’ and ‘Home’, it’s clear that the more electronic, dark, space-y stuff is the direction they’re heading, and the Daughter that they are comfortable with continuing to become.

The band exit to the two biggest cheers of the night for ‘Youth’ and ‘Home’, with Elena asking for some help with the former to aid her deteriorating voice (solely her own admission; from where we’re standing it sounds distinctive and beautiful as ever). The band seem genuinely awed at the response they receive, and, boy, if this blows their mind then I’d love to see their three faces at Shepherd’s Bush in October.