The Debut Record "Daughters" Delves Into Sorrow and Elegance
In this track "Miss America", listeners find themselves in a lodging close to JFK airport, as Jennifer Walton learns a devastating news that her dad has cancer discovery. This Sunderland-born performer had been touring America on her initial visit, playing with indie band Kero Kero Bonito, when abruptly grief takes over, coloring everything with melancholy. Faltering piano and hushed strings accompany gothic dispatches emanating from the road: "Cattle farm and broke down shack / Shopping centers, illicit trades, anxious moments."
Her soft singing come across with a deadpan manner, yet this album's intensity arises from her sharp penmanship—blending fiction, traditional phrases, and direct personal notes—coupled with unexpected maximalism. Few songs recently possess more potent storytelling flair compared to "Shelly", a piece that describes the death of a deer and descends toward a petrol-laden confrontation, reminiscent of written pieces illuminated with glimpses of distorted strings. Tense, subdued verses with echoing, strummed strings transition to grand refrains, and her vocals electronically altered to become something omniscient and sinister.
Listeners may already know the artist from her work as an electronic producer, DJ, and member to bands such as Caroline. Daughters' sonic turns draw on her varied career. The first track "Sometimes" bursts in flourish, as if an ensemble taken unawares, while "Born Again Backwards" drastically increases the BPM with an intense, stunning, repeating drum fill. Thick layers of audio, skillfully produced by a long-term collaborator, feel both rough and spiritual, while her dark, magical thinking peak on highlight "Lambs", which momentarily becomes a twirling jig. "May your life never end in death," she pleads, exuding heart-aching dark comedy.
