The Debut Record "Daughters" Explores Sorrow and Style
Within this song "Miss America", listeners find themselves inside a lodging near JFK airport, as the musician learns the heartbreaking update of her father's cancer diagnosis. This UK-raised performer was traveling America on her initial visit, drumming alongside indie band Kero Kero Bonito, when abruptly grief casts a shadow, tinging all in grey. Faltering keys and soft orchestration accompany gothic dispatches from the tour van: "Cattle farm and broke down shack / Shopping centers, illicit trades, anxious moments."
Her gentle vocals come across with a flat style, yet the record's tension arises from her sharp writing—mixing fiction, traditional phrases, and blunt personal notes—coupled with surprising rich textures. Few tracks recently showcase stronger novelistic flair compared to "Shelly", a piece that depicts the killing of an animal and descends into a fuel-soaked confrontation, reminiscent of literary pieces illuminated by flickers of warped strings. Tense, quiet verses with echoing, plucked guitar transition into expansive refrains, with her voice digitally manipulated into a presence omniscient and sinister.
Listeners may already be familiar with the artist as an electronic producer, disc jockey, and contributor in groups like Caroline. The album's musical twists draw on her varied career. The first track "Sometimes" bursts with flourish, like an ensemble taken by surprise, while "Born Again Backwards" drastically ups the tempo via a punishing, stunning, looping percussion. Thick walls of sound, expertly produced with a longtime partner, seem at once gnarly and ethereal, while Walton's dark, enchanted thoughts peak on standout "Lambs", a song that momentarily transforms into a twirling jig. "I hope your existence doesn't conclude with dying," she pleads, exuding poignant dark comedy.