The First Album "Daughters" Delves Into Sorrow and Elegance
Within this track "Miss America", listeners find themselves in a lodging close to JFK airfield, as Jennifer Walton learns the heartbreaking news of her father's cancer diagnosis. This UK-raised artist had been traveling the US on her initial visit, drumming with group Kero Kero Bonito, when suddenly sadness takes over, coloring all with melancholy. Unsteady keys and soft orchestration accompany dark reports emanating from the road: "Cattle farm and broke down shack / Strip-mall, drug deal, panic attacks."
Walton's soft vocals are delivered with a deadpan manner, yet the album's intensity stems from the sharp writing—blending stories, traditional phrases, and blunt personal notes—along with unexpected maximalism. Few songs this year possess stronger storytelling flair compared to "Shelly", which describes the killing of a deer and spirals toward a fuel-soaked confrontation, evoking literary works lit by glimpses of warped strings. Anxious, quiet sections featuring resonating, strummed strings move to expansive choruses, and Walton's vocals digitally manipulated to become something all-knowing and menacing.
Audiences may already know the artist from her work as an electronic producer, disc jockey, and member in groups like Caroline. The album's musical twists draw on her diverse career. The first track "Sometimes" erupts in fanfare, like a string band taken unawares, whereas "Born Again Backwards" radically ups the BPM via a punishing, stunning, repeating percussion. Thick walls of sound, skillfully produced by a long-term partner, feel both rough and ethereal, and her morbid, enchanted thoughts peak on highlight "Lambs", a song that momentarily becomes a swirling dance. "May your life never end in death," she bargains, exuding poignant dark comedy.
