The First Record "Daughters" Delves Into Grief and Style

Within the track "Miss America", listeners find themselves inside a lodging near JFK airfield, as Jennifer Walton learns the devastating news that her dad has cancer diagnosis. This Sunderland-born artist was touring America for the first time, drumming alongside indie band Kero Kero Bonito, and abruptly sadness takes over, tinging all in grey. Faltering piano and hushed strings underscore dark dispatches from the road: "Cattle farm and broke down shack / Shopping centers, illicit trades, anxious moments."

Walton's gentle singing are delivered in a deadpan manner, while the record's intensity arises from her sharp writing—blending fiction, folksy sayings, and direct diary entries—along with surprising rich textures. Few songs recently possess more potent storytelling flair compared to "Shelly", which describes the death of an animal and descends into a petrol-laden confrontation, evoking written pieces illuminated with flickers of warped strings. Tense, quiet sections featuring echoing, strummed strings move to grand refrains, and her vocals digitally manipulated into something all-knowing and sinister.

Listeners might already be familiar with the artist as an electronic producer, DJ, and contributor to bands like Caroline. Daughters' sonic turns reflect this diverse background. The first track "Sometimes" bursts with fanfare, like a string band caught by surprise, while "Born Again Backwards" radically increases the BPM with an intense, beautiful, looping percussion. Thick walls of sound, expertly mixed by a longtime collaborator, feel at once gnarly and ethereal, and Walton's dark, magical thoughts culminate in highlight "Lambs", which briefly transforms into a twirling dance. "I hope your existence doesn't conclude with dying," she bargains, with poignant gallows humor.