The First Record "Daughters" Explores Sorrow and Elegance

Within this song "Miss America", listeners find themselves inside a lodging close to JFK airfield, where Jennifer Walton receives the devastating news that her dad has cancer discovery. The UK-raised performer had been touring America for the first time, drumming with group Kero Kero Bonito, and suddenly sadness takes over, coloring everything with melancholy. Faltering piano and hushed strings underscore gothic reports from the tour van: "Cattle farm and broke down shack / Shopping centers, illicit trades, anxious moments."

Walton's gentle vocals come across with a deadpan manner, while this record's intensity stems from her keen writing—mixing fiction, folksy sayings, and blunt personal notes—coupled with unexpected rich textures. Few songs recently showcase stronger novelistic style than "Shelly", a piece that describes the killing of a deer and descends toward a petrol-laden confrontation, evoking written pieces lit with glimpses of distorted strings. Anxious, subdued sections with echoing, plucked strings move into expansive choruses, with Walton's vocals electronically altered into a presence all-knowing and sinister.

Listeners may already be familiar with Walton from her work as a music creator, DJ, and contributor to bands like Caroline. Daughters' musical twists reflect this varied background. The opener "Sometimes" erupts in fanfare, as if an ensemble caught by surprise, whereas "Born Again Backwards" drastically ups the BPM via a punishing, beautiful, looping percussion. Dense layers of audio, skillfully produced by a longtime collaborator, seem both gnarly and ethereal, and her morbid, enchanted thinking culminate in standout "Lambs", a song that briefly transforms into a twirling jig. "I hope your existence doesn't conclude with dying," Walton bargains, with heart-aching dark comedy.

Tammy Moreno
Tammy Moreno

A digital strategist with over a decade of experience in tech consulting and content creation, passionate about simplifying complex topics.