Caught between fun punk and sweet rock sounds, the band's third album packs a light punch. A garage party atmosphere is clearly the ideal of This Gift, and it gets hips shaking, but in an almost innocent way. Riffs are catchy but thin, rhythms are a tad flat, and singer Adele Bethel's voice is almost too sweet. Consider it a beginner's manual to homemade punk-themed parties.
The opening track, "Gilt Complex" starts the album off on a quick step while guitars stabbing through the chugging beat and Bethel's vocals cycle and stutter with true flair. Afterwards, however, This Gift loses the razor's edge and deflates into pop-punk jangles. A few tracks like "Chains" and "Darling" show a little panache, but the majority of the songs need some extra oomph to feel alive.
There's plenty of pop to go around on Sons and Daughter's third release, and while the punk vibe is somewhat catchy, it's also just sweetly simulated. If This Gift was a party, the punch might not be spiked.