The First Album "Daughters" Delves Into Grief and Elegance
In this track "Miss America", audiences are placed inside a lodging close to JFK airport, as Jennifer Walton learns the devastating update of her father's cancer discovery. This UK-raised performer was touring America on her initial visit, playing alongside indie band Kero Kero Bonito, and abruptly sadness casts a shadow, coloring everything with melancholy. Unsteady keys and soft orchestration accompany gothic reports from the tour van: "Cattle farm and broke down shack / Strip-mall, drug deal, panic attacks."
Walton's gentle singing come across in a flat style, while this record's tension arises from the keen writing—blending fiction, traditional phrases, and direct personal notes—along with surprising rich textures. Few tracks recently possess stronger storytelling style compared to "Shelly", a piece that describes the death of an animal and spirals toward a fuel-soaked confrontation, evoking written works lit with flickers of warped cello. Tense, subdued verses featuring echoing, strummed strings move to expansive refrains, and Walton's vocals digitally manipulated into something omniscient and menacing.
Listeners might already know Walton from her work as a music creator, disc jockey, and contributor to bands like Caroline. The album's musical twists draw on her diverse background. The opener "Sometimes" bursts in fanfare, as if an ensemble caught unawares, whereas "Born Again Backwards" radically ups the tempo via a punishing, stunning, repeating drum fill. Thick layers of audio, expertly mixed by a long-term partner, feel at once gnarly and spiritual, and Walton's morbid, magical thinking peak in highlight "Lambs", which briefly transforms into a swirling dance. "May your life never end in death," Walton bargains, with poignant dark comedy.
