Jennifer Walton's Debut Album "Daughters" Explores Sorrow and Style

In the song "Miss America", audiences are placed inside a hotel room near JFK airfield, as Jennifer Walton learns a devastating update of her father's illness discovery. This UK-raised artist had been traveling America for the first time, playing alongside group Kero Kero Bonito, and suddenly grief casts a shadow, tinging everything in grey. Unsteady keys and hushed orchestration accompany dark reports emanating from the road: "Cattle farm and broke down shack / Strip-mall, drug deal, panic attacks."

Walton's soft singing are delivered with a deadpan style, while the record's tension stems from the sharp penmanship—blending stories, folksy sayings, and direct personal notes—coupled with surprising rich textures. Not many tracks this year showcase stronger storytelling style compared to "Shelly", which depicts the killing of a deer and descends into a petrol-laden reckoning, reminiscent of written works lit by flickers of distorted strings. Anxious, quiet verses featuring resonating, strummed guitar transition into expansive choruses, with her vocals digitally manipulated into a presence omniscient and sinister.

Listeners might previously know Walton as a music creator, DJ, and member in groups like Caroline. The album's sonic turns reflect this varied career. The first track "Sometimes" bursts in fanfare, as if an ensemble caught unawares, while "Born Again Backwards" drastically ups the BPM via a punishing, stunning, looping percussion. Dense layers of audio, skillfully produced by a long-term collaborator, feel both rough and spiritual, while Walton's morbid, magical thinking peak on standout "Lambs", which momentarily becomes a twirling dance. "May your life never end in death," she bargains, with poignant dark comedy.