The Debut Record "Daughters" Explores Sorrow and Style
Within the track "Miss America", listeners are placed inside a lodging close to JFK airport, where the musician learns the heartbreaking update that her dad has cancer discovery. This Sunderland-born performer was touring the US for the first time, drumming alongside indie band Kero Kero Bonito, and abruptly grief takes over, tinging all in grey. Unsteady piano and soft strings accompany dark reports from the tour van: "Cattle farm and broke down shack / Shopping centers, illicit trades, anxious moments."
Walton's soft singing are delivered with a deadpan style, yet this album's tension stems from the keen writing—mixing fiction, folksy sayings, and direct diary entries—coupled with unexpected rich textures. Few songs recently possess more potent storytelling style compared to "Shelly", which describes the death of an animal and spirals toward a fuel-soaked reckoning, reminiscent of written pieces lit by flickers of warped strings. Tense, quiet sections featuring resonating, strummed strings move into grand refrains, with Walton's voice digitally manipulated into a presence all-knowing and sinister.
Listeners may previously be familiar with the artist from her work as a music creator, DJ, and member to bands like Caroline. The album's sonic turns reflect her diverse background. The first track "Sometimes" erupts with fanfare, as if an ensemble caught unawares, whereas "Born Again Backwards" drastically ups the tempo via a punishing, stunning, looping percussion. Dense layers of audio, skillfully mixed by a longtime collaborator, feel at once rough and spiritual, while her morbid, magical thoughts culminate on standout "Lambs", which briefly transforms into a swirling jig. "May your life never end in death," she pleads, exuding poignant dark comedy.