The First Record "Daughters" Explores Grief and Style
Within this track "Miss America", listeners are placed in a lodging close to JFK airfield, as Jennifer Walton learns the heartbreaking news that her dad has illness diagnosis. The Sunderland-born artist was traveling America on her initial visit, playing alongside group Kero Kero Bonito, and suddenly grief casts a shadow, tinging everything in grey. Faltering keys and hushed orchestration underscore gothic reports from the road: "Cattle farm and broke down shack / Strip-mall, drug deal, panic attacks."
Walton's gentle vocals come across with a flat style, while the record's intensity stems from her keen penmanship—mixing stories, folksy sayings, and blunt personal notes—along with surprising maximalism. Few songs recently showcase more potent novelistic flair than "Shelly", which depicts the killing of an animal and descends into a petrol-laden confrontation, evoking written pieces lit by flickers of distorted cello. Tense, subdued verses featuring resonating, plucked strings move to expansive refrains, with Walton's voice electronically altered to become something all-knowing and menacing.
Listeners might already be familiar with Walton from her work as a music creator, DJ, and contributor to bands such as Caroline. Daughters' sonic turns draw on this diverse background. The first track "Sometimes" bursts with flourish, like an ensemble taken unawares, whereas "Born Again Backwards" drastically increases the BPM with an intense, beautiful, looping drum fill. Thick walls of sound, expertly mixed with a longtime partner, feel both gnarly and ethereal, while Walton's morbid, enchanted thinking culminate in standout "Lambs", which momentarily becomes a swirling jig. "May your life never end in death," she bargains, with heart-aching dark comedy.
