The First Record "Daughters" Delves Into Sorrow and Style
In this song "Miss America", audiences find themselves in a lodging near JFK airport, as Jennifer Walton receives a heartbreaking update of her father's illness discovery. The UK-raised artist was traveling America for the first time, drumming with group Kero Kero Bonito, when suddenly sadness takes over, coloring everything in grey. Unsteady piano and soft strings accompany gothic dispatches emanating from the tour van: "Rural scenes and crumbling homes / Strip-mall, drug deal, panic attacks."
Her soft singing come across with a deadpan manner, yet the record's tension stems from her keen writing—blending stories, traditional phrases, and direct personal notes—coupled with surprising rich textures. Few songs recently possess stronger storytelling flair compared to "Shelly", a piece that describes the killing of a deer and spirals toward a petrol-laden confrontation, reminiscent of literary works lit by flickers of distorted strings. Tense, subdued sections with echoing, strummed strings transition to grand refrains, and Walton's voice electronically altered into a presence all-knowing and menacing.
Audiences might already know Walton from her work as a music creator, DJ, and member to bands like Caroline. The album's sonic turns reflect this diverse career. The first track "Sometimes" erupts in flourish, as if an ensemble taken by surprise, whereas "Born Again Backwards" radically ups the BPM via an intense, beautiful, repeating drum fill. Thick walls of sound, skillfully produced with a long-term collaborator, feel at once rough and ethereal, while her morbid, enchanted thoughts peak in highlight "Lambs", which momentarily transforms into a twirling dance. "I hope your existence doesn't conclude with dying," Walton bargains, with heart-aching gallows humor.
