🔗 Share this article Jennifer Walton's Debut Record "Daughters" Delves Into Sorrow and Elegance In this track "Miss America", listeners find themselves inside a hotel room near JFK airport, as the musician receives the heartbreaking update of her father's illness diagnosis. The UK-raised performer was touring the US on her initial visit, playing with indie band Kero Kero Bonito, when suddenly sadness casts a shadow, tinging everything in grey. Unsteady piano and hushed orchestration underscore dark reports emanating from the tour van: "Cattle farm and broke down shack / Shopping centers, illicit trades, anxious moments." Walton's soft singing come across in a flat manner, yet this record's intensity stems from the sharp writing—blending stories, folksy sayings, and blunt diary entries—along with surprising maximalism. Not many tracks recently possess more potent novelistic flair than "Shelly", a piece that depicts the death of a deer and spirals into a petrol-laden confrontation, reminiscent of written pieces lit by glimpses of distorted cello. Anxious, subdued verses with resonating, plucked guitar transition to grand choruses, with her voice digitally manipulated to become a presence all-knowing and sinister. Listeners might previously be familiar with Walton from her work as an electronic producer, DJ, and contributor to bands like Caroline. The album's musical twists reflect this varied career. The first track "Sometimes" erupts with fanfare, as if a string band taken by surprise, while "Born Again Backwards" drastically ups the tempo with a punishing, beautiful, repeating percussion. Thick layers of audio, expertly mixed by a longtime partner, seem both rough and ethereal, while her dark, enchanted thinking culminate in standout "Lambs", which briefly becomes a swirling jig. "I hope your existence doesn't conclude with dying," she bargains, exuding heart-aching dark comedy.