Jennifer Walton's First Album "Daughters" Explores Sorrow and Elegance

In this song "Miss America", listeners find themselves inside a lodging near JFK airport, where the musician learns a devastating news of her father's cancer diagnosis. This UK-raised artist was touring the US on her initial visit, drumming with indie band Kero Kero Bonito, when suddenly sadness takes over, tinging everything in grey. Unsteady keys and soft strings accompany dark reports from the road: "Cattle farm and broke down shack / Strip-mall, drug deal, panic attacks."

Walton's soft vocals come across with a deadpan manner, while this record's intensity arises from the keen writing—mixing stories, traditional phrases, and blunt diary entries—coupled with surprising rich textures. Few tracks recently showcase stronger storytelling style compared to "Shelly", a piece that depicts the killing of an animal and descends into a fuel-soaked confrontation, evoking written pieces lit by glimpses of warped strings. Anxious, subdued sections featuring resonating, plucked guitar move into grand choruses, with her vocals digitally manipulated to become a presence all-knowing and menacing.

Listeners might previously be familiar with Walton as a music creator, disc jockey, and member to bands such as Caroline. The album's musical twists draw on her diverse background. The first track "Sometimes" erupts with flourish, like an ensemble taken by surprise, whereas "Born Again Backwards" drastically increases the tempo via an intense, beautiful, repeating drum fill. Thick walls of sound, skillfully mixed by a long-term collaborator, feel at once gnarly and spiritual, while Walton's morbid, magical thinking peak in standout "Lambs", which briefly becomes a swirling dance. "I hope your existence doesn't conclude with dying," Walton bargains, with heart-aching gallows humor.