The First Record "Daughters" Delves Into Grief and Style
Within this song "Miss America", listeners are placed in a lodging near JFK airfield, as Jennifer Walton learns a devastating update of her father's cancer discovery. The UK-raised artist was touring the US on her initial visit, playing alongside group Kero Kero Bonito, and abruptly sadness casts a shadow, coloring everything in grey. Unsteady keys and hushed strings accompany dark dispatches from the tour van: "Cattle farm and broke down shack / Shopping centers, illicit trades, anxious moments."
Walton's soft vocals are delivered in a deadpan manner, while the record's intensity arises from her keen writing—mixing fiction, traditional phrases, and direct diary entries—coupled with surprising rich textures. Not many songs recently showcase stronger storytelling style compared to "Shelly", a piece that describes the killing of an animal and descends toward a petrol-laden confrontation, reminiscent of literary pieces illuminated by glimpses of distorted strings. Anxious, quiet verses with echoing, strummed strings transition into grand choruses, with her vocals digitally manipulated into a presence omniscient and sinister.
Listeners might already know Walton from her work as a music creator, disc jockey, and contributor in groups such as Caroline. The album's sonic turns draw on this varied career. The first track "Sometimes" bursts with fanfare, as if an ensemble taken by surprise, whereas "Born Again Backwards" drastically ups the BPM with an intense, stunning, looping drum fill. Thick layers of audio, skillfully mixed with a long-term partner, feel at once rough and spiritual, while her dark, enchanted thinking culminate on highlight "Lambs", a song that momentarily becomes a swirling dance. "I hope your existence doesn't conclude with dying," she bargains, with poignant gallows humor.
