Separation, the loss of loved ones and the associated feelings of grief, pain and despair already represented central themes on the first two Daughter albums, and they continue to do so on »Stereo Mind Game«. The British band took a whopping seven years to make this album, which they probably needed to continue to explore these emotions in order to ultimately be able to transcend them into an upbeat view of the future. After a relationship ends, you may well feel devastated, but at the same time you are richer in important experiences and many fond memories. Just because a relationship came to an end doesn’t mean it wasn’t real. Instead of wallowing in grief and pointlessly mourning the past, we should gratefully cherish it.
Elena Tonra, Igor Haefeli and Remi Aguilella pack these insights into an opulence that has partially been transformed into song, delivered mainly by the London-based string orchestra 12 Ensemble, but also by a wind quartet on »To Rage« and »Neptune« (where the 12 Ensemble can also be heard as a choir). In short: »Stereo Mind Game« turns out to be a manifesto worth listening to for the fact that time does not heal all wounds, but that in the dark hours a light at the end of the tunnel always exists, which we can steadily move towards.
