The First Album "Daughters" Explores Grief and Style
Within the track "Miss America", audiences find themselves in a lodging near JFK airfield, as the musician learns a devastating news that her dad has illness discovery. This UK-raised performer was touring America on her initial visit, drumming with indie band Kero Kero Bonito, when abruptly sadness takes over, coloring everything with melancholy. Unsteady piano and soft orchestration underscore dark reports from the tour van: "Rural scenes and crumbling homes / Strip-mall, drug deal, panic attacks."
Her soft vocals are delivered with a flat manner, yet the record's intensity arises from her sharp penmanshipâmixing stories, traditional phrases, and blunt diary entriesâalong with surprising maximalism. Few songs this year showcase more potent storytelling style than "Shelly", which depicts the death of an animal and spirals toward a petrol-laden reckoning, evoking written pieces lit by glimpses of distorted cello. Tense, quiet sections with resonating, plucked strings move to expansive refrains, and her voice digitally manipulated to become a presence omniscient and menacing.
Listeners may previously know Walton as a music creator, disc jockey, and member to bands such as Caroline. The album's musical twists draw on her varied career. The opener "Sometimes" bursts with fanfare, like an ensemble caught unawares, whereas "Born Again Backwards" drastically increases the BPM with an intense, stunning, repeating percussion. Dense walls of sound, expertly produced with a longtime collaborator, feel both rough and spiritual, while Walton's dark, magical thinking peak in highlight "Lambs", a song that momentarily becomes a swirling dance. "May your life never end in death," she bargains, exuding heart-aching dark comedy.