After sleeping for a long while on a bed of damp grass near a lake, you open your eyes and see the sky flying towards you. Clouds of deep purple lift your body heavenward, slowly but surely. Night falls, accompanied by a dark bluish fog that surrounds you on all sides. You look closer, and see the countless glistening crystals that hang throughout the fog. Looking even closer, you see the minuscule beings trapped within the crystals, crying out in harmony . . .

Penning a sad song is an art form as old as time, and there are copious ways to go about doing it. The traditionalist will have you believe that a sorrowful composition must fully embody sorrow. Heartbreak doesn’t have to sound sad or downtrodden, though. It can be uplifting, sexy even, and no one communicates gloom more enticingly than these artists. Not To Disappear is the newest full-length from London-based band Daughter.

Singer-guitarist Elena Tonra’s tender voice soars with graceful melodies over the chillingly lush soundscapes she creates with bandmates Remi Aguilella and Igor Haefeli. The spirit of shoegaze howls in the instrumentation that washes over the listener, but an atmosphere of comfort is always maintained. These songs sound magnificently vast, and they communicate universal pains without being overwhelming; a rare accomplishment.

Sad music is quickly becoming an endangered breed. These days, more listeners would rather escape into a sanguine melody and a beat that shakes off every trace of negativity, than indulge in real emotions. Now more than ever, we need artists that communicate the darker aspects of the human experience, and Daughter do it better than most. If you’re seeking melancholic, dreamy rock, this album is for you.

– stasi (@stasisphere)