The First Record "Daughters" Delves Into Grief and Style
Within this track "Miss America", audiences find themselves inside a lodging near JFK airfield, as the musician receives the heartbreaking news that her dad has illness diagnosis. This UK-raised artist had been touring the US on her initial visit, playing alongside group Kero Kero Bonito, when abruptly sadness casts a shadow, tinging all in grey. Unsteady piano and soft strings underscore dark dispatches from the road: "Rural scenes and crumbling homes / Strip-mall, drug deal, panic attacks."
Her soft singing are delivered with a flat manner, while the album's tension stems from the keen penmanship—mixing stories, folksy sayings, and blunt diary entries—along with unexpected maximalism. Few tracks this year possess stronger novelistic flair compared to "Shelly", which depicts the killing of a deer and descends toward a petrol-laden reckoning, reminiscent of written pieces lit by glimpses of warped cello. Anxious, subdued verses featuring echoing, strummed guitar move into expansive choruses, and her vocals digitally manipulated into a presence omniscient and menacing.
Listeners might previously know Walton from her work as a music creator, disc jockey, and member in groups like Caroline. The album's musical twists reflect her diverse background. The opener "Sometimes" bursts in flourish, like an ensemble caught unawares, while "Born Again Backwards" drastically increases the tempo with an intense, stunning, looping percussion. Thick walls of sound, skillfully produced with a longtime collaborator, feel both gnarly and ethereal, and Walton's dark, magical thoughts culminate on standout "Lambs", a song that briefly transforms into a twirling dance. "I hope your existence doesn't conclude with dying," she pleads, with heart-aching dark comedy.