Jennifer Walton's Debut Album "Daughters" Delves Into Sorrow and Style

In this track "Miss America", listeners find themselves inside a hotel room close to JFK airport, as Jennifer Walton learns a heartbreaking update that her dad has cancer diagnosis. This UK-raised artist was touring America for the first time, playing with group Kero Kero Bonito, when abruptly sadness takes over, coloring all in grey. Faltering piano and hushed orchestration underscore gothic reports from the tour van: "Cattle farm and broke down shack / Strip-mall, drug deal, panic attacks."

Walton's soft singing come across in a deadpan style, while the record's intensity stems from her sharp writing—mixing stories, folksy sayings, and blunt diary entries—along with surprising rich textures. Few tracks recently possess more potent storytelling flair than "Shelly", which depicts the killing of an animal and descends into a petrol-laden reckoning, reminiscent of written pieces illuminated by glimpses of warped strings. Tense, quiet sections featuring resonating, plucked strings transition to grand choruses, with her vocals digitally manipulated to become a presence omniscient and menacing.

Audiences may already know the artist as a music creator, disc jockey, and member in groups such as Caroline. The album's musical twists reflect this varied background. The opener "Sometimes" bursts with fanfare, as if a string band taken by surprise, while "Born Again Backwards" drastically ups the tempo via an intense, stunning, looping percussion. Dense layers of audio, expertly produced with a long-term collaborator, seem at once rough and spiritual, while Walton's morbid, magical thinking culminate on standout "Lambs", which momentarily transforms into a swirling jig. "May your life never end in death," Walton pleads, with heart-aching dark comedy.