The Debut Album "Daughters" Delves Into Grief and Elegance

Within this song "Miss America", listeners find themselves in a lodging close to JFK airport, as Jennifer Walton receives the heartbreaking update of her father's illness discovery. This Sunderland-born performer had been touring the US on her initial visit, playing alongside indie band Kero Kero Bonito, when suddenly grief casts a shadow, coloring everything with melancholy. Unsteady keys and hushed orchestration accompany gothic reports from the road: "Rural scenes and crumbling homes / Shopping centers, illicit trades, anxious moments."

Walton's soft vocals come across in a deadpan style, yet the record's tension stems from the keen writing—blending fiction, traditional phrases, and blunt diary entries—along with surprising rich textures. Few tracks recently possess more potent storytelling flair than "Shelly", a piece that depicts the killing of an animal and spirals toward a fuel-soaked confrontation, reminiscent of literary pieces illuminated with glimpses of distorted strings. Anxious, subdued sections featuring resonating, strummed strings transition to grand choruses, with Walton's voice electronically altered to become a presence all-knowing and sinister.

Listeners might previously be familiar with Walton as an electronic producer, disc jockey, and contributor to bands such as Caroline. Daughters' musical twists reflect her diverse career. The first track "Sometimes" bursts with fanfare, like an ensemble caught by surprise, whereas "Born Again Backwards" drastically ups the tempo via an intense, beautiful, looping drum fill. Thick walls of sound, expertly mixed with a longtime partner, seem at once gnarly and ethereal, and Walton's morbid, enchanted thoughts culminate in standout "Lambs", which briefly becomes a twirling dance. "May your life never end in death," she pleads, exuding heart-aching dark comedy.