The First Record "Daughters" Delves Into Sorrow and Elegance

In the song "Miss America", listeners find themselves in a hotel room close to JFK airport, where the musician learns the devastating news that her dad has cancer diagnosis. This UK-raised performer had been touring the US on her initial visit, drumming alongside indie band Kero Kero Bonito, and abruptly sadness takes over, coloring everything with melancholy. Faltering piano and hushed orchestration underscore dark reports emanating from the tour van: "Cattle farm and broke down shack / Shopping centers, illicit trades, anxious moments."

Walton's gentle singing come across in a flat style, yet the album's tension arises from her sharp penmanship—blending fiction, folksy sayings, and blunt diary entries—along with surprising rich textures. Not many tracks recently possess stronger storytelling flair than "Shelly", which describes the death of a deer and spirals into a petrol-laden confrontation, reminiscent of literary pieces lit by flickers of warped cello. Tense, subdued verses featuring echoing, strummed guitar transition to expansive refrains, with her vocals electronically altered to become a presence all-knowing and menacing.

Listeners may previously know Walton as an electronic producer, DJ, and member in groups like Caroline. The album's musical twists reflect this varied background. The opener "Sometimes" erupts with flourish, as if an ensemble taken by surprise, while "Born Again Backwards" radically ups the tempo with an intense, beautiful, looping drum fill. Thick layers of audio, skillfully mixed by a long-term partner, feel at once gnarly and ethereal, while Walton's morbid, magical thinking peak on standout "Lambs", which momentarily becomes a twirling jig. "I hope your existence doesn't conclude with dying," she bargains, with heart-aching dark comedy.