The First Album "Daughters" Delves Into Sorrow and Elegance
In this song "Miss America", audiences find themselves in a hotel room near JFK airport, where Jennifer Walton receives the heartbreaking news of her father's illness discovery. The UK-raised performer had been touring the US for the first time, playing with group Kero Kero Bonito, and abruptly sadness casts a shadow, coloring everything with melancholy. Unsteady piano and soft orchestration accompany gothic reports from the tour van: "Cattle farm and broke down shack / Shopping centers, illicit trades, anxious moments."
Her soft vocals are delivered with a deadpan manner, while the album's intensity arises from the keen writing—blending stories, traditional phrases, and blunt diary entries—coupled with unexpected rich textures. Few songs this year possess stronger storytelling style compared to "Shelly", a piece that describes the killing of a deer and spirals toward a fuel-soaked confrontation, evoking literary pieces illuminated by glimpses of distorted cello. Anxious, quiet verses featuring resonating, strummed guitar move into expansive refrains, with her vocals digitally manipulated into something all-knowing and sinister.
Audiences might previously know Walton from her work as an electronic producer, DJ, and contributor to bands such as Caroline. The album's musical twists reflect this diverse career. The opener "Sometimes" bursts in fanfare, as if an ensemble taken by surprise, whereas "Born Again Backwards" radically increases the BPM via an intense, beautiful, repeating drum fill. Thick walls of sound, expertly produced with a longtime partner, seem at once gnarly and spiritual, and Walton's dark, magical thoughts culminate on standout "Lambs", a song that briefly transforms into a swirling dance. "I hope your existence doesn't conclude with dying," she bargains, exuding poignant dark comedy.