Jennifer Walton's Debut Record "Daughters" Delves Into Grief and Elegance

In this track "Miss America", audiences find themselves in a hotel room near JFK airport, where Jennifer Walton receives a devastating update that her dad has cancer diagnosis. The Sunderland-born artist had been traveling the US on her initial visit, playing with group Kero Kero Bonito, when suddenly sadness takes over, tinging all in grey. Unsteady piano and soft orchestration underscore gothic dispatches 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 deadpan style, yet the album's tension arises from her sharp writing—mixing fiction, traditional phrases, and direct diary entries—coupled with unexpected rich textures. Not many tracks this year showcase more potent storytelling flair than "Shelly", a piece that describes the killing of an animal and descends into a fuel-soaked reckoning, evoking written pieces lit with flickers of distorted cello. Tense, quiet sections with echoing, strummed guitar move to grand refrains, and her voice digitally manipulated to become something all-knowing and sinister.

Listeners may previously be familiar with the artist as an electronic producer, DJ, and member to bands like Caroline. Daughters' musical twists reflect her varied career. The first track "Sometimes" bursts with fanfare, like a string band caught unawares, while "Born Again Backwards" radically ups the BPM with an intense, beautiful, repeating drum fill. Dense walls of sound, skillfully produced with a longtime collaborator, feel both rough and ethereal, and her dark, enchanted thoughts peak in standout "Lambs", which briefly becomes a swirling jig. "May your life never end in death," she bargains, exuding heart-aching dark comedy.