The First Album "Daughters" Delves Into Sorrow and Style
Within this song "Miss America", audiences are placed inside a lodging close to JFK airport, as Jennifer Walton learns the heartbreaking update that her dad has illness diagnosis. This Sunderland-born performer was touring America for the first time, drumming with group Kero Kero Bonito, and suddenly sadness takes over, tinging all with melancholy. Faltering keys and soft orchestration underscore gothic dispatches from the road: "Rural scenes and crumbling homes / Shopping centers, illicit trades, anxious moments."
Her gentle vocals are delivered in a flat style, yet this record's tension arises from her sharp penmanship—blending fiction, traditional phrases, and blunt diary entries—coupled with surprising rich textures. Not many tracks recently possess more potent storytelling flair than "Shelly", a piece that describes the killing of an animal and descends into a petrol-laden reckoning, reminiscent of literary works lit by glimpses of warped cello. Anxious, subdued sections featuring echoing, plucked strings transition to expansive refrains, with her voice digitally manipulated into a presence all-knowing and menacing.
Audiences may already know the artist from her work as a music creator, disc jockey, and contributor to bands like Caroline. Daughters' sonic turns draw on her diverse career. The opener "Sometimes" bursts in fanfare, as if an ensemble taken by surprise, while "Born Again Backwards" drastically increases the tempo via a punishing, stunning, looping percussion. Thick walls of sound, expertly produced by a long-term collaborator, feel at once gnarly and ethereal, and Walton's morbid, magical thoughts peak in standout "Lambs", which briefly becomes a twirling jig. "I hope your existence doesn't conclude with dying," Walton pleads, with heart-aching gallows humor.
