The First Album "Daughters" Explores Sorrow and Style
Within the track "Miss America", audiences find themselves in a hotel room near JFK airport, where the musician receives a devastating update that her dad has cancer discovery. This Sunderland-born performer had been traveling the US for the first time, drumming alongside indie band Kero Kero Bonito, and suddenly sadness casts a shadow, tinging all in grey. Faltering keys and hushed strings underscore gothic dispatches from the road: "Cattle farm and broke down shack / Shopping centers, illicit trades, anxious moments."
Her gentle singing come across in a deadpan style, yet the record's tension arises from her sharp writing—blending fiction, traditional phrases, and direct diary entries—along with unexpected rich textures. Not many songs this year showcase stronger novelistic style compared to "Shelly", a piece that describes the killing of an animal and descends into a petrol-laden confrontation, reminiscent of literary works illuminated with flickers of warped strings. Tense, subdued verses featuring echoing, plucked strings move into expansive refrains, and her vocals electronically altered to become a presence omniscient and sinister.
Audiences may already be familiar with Walton as an electronic producer, disc jockey, and member in groups like Caroline. The album's musical twists draw on her diverse career. The opener "Sometimes" bursts with fanfare, like a string band taken by surprise, while "Born Again Backwards" drastically ups the BPM with an intense, beautiful, looping drum fill. Dense layers of audio, skillfully mixed with a longtime partner, feel both rough and spiritual, and her morbid, enchanted thoughts peak on standout "Lambs", a song that briefly transforms into a twirling jig. "May your life never end in death," Walton bargains, exuding poignant gallows humor.
