The First Album "Daughters" Delves Into Sorrow and Style
In the song "Miss America", audiences are placed inside a lodging close to JFK airfield, as Jennifer Walton learns a heartbreaking update that her dad has cancer discovery. This UK-raised performer was traveling America on her initial visit, playing with group Kero Kero Bonito, and suddenly grief takes over, coloring everything with melancholy. Faltering piano and soft orchestration underscore gothic reports from the road: "Cattle farm and broke down shack / Shopping centers, illicit trades, anxious moments."
Her gentle singing are delivered in a deadpan manner, while the record's intensity arises from her sharp penmanship—mixing fiction, traditional phrases, and blunt diary entries—coupled with unexpected rich textures. Not many songs recently showcase stronger novelistic style compared to "Shelly", a piece that depicts the death of a deer and descends toward a fuel-soaked reckoning, evoking written pieces illuminated by flickers of distorted strings. Tense, quiet verses featuring echoing, plucked strings move to grand choruses, and Walton's vocals digitally manipulated into a presence all-knowing and menacing.
Listeners might already be familiar with Walton from her work as an electronic producer, disc jockey, and contributor in groups like Caroline. The album's sonic turns draw on this diverse career. The opener "Sometimes" bursts in fanfare, like an ensemble caught unawares, while "Born Again Backwards" radically ups the BPM via a punishing, beautiful, repeating percussion. Thick walls of sound, skillfully mixed by a long-term partner, seem both rough and spiritual, and her morbid, magical thinking culminate on highlight "Lambs", which briefly becomes a twirling dance. "May your life never end in death," Walton bargains, exuding heart-aching dark comedy.
