Jennifer Walton's Debut Album "Daughters" Explores Grief and Style

Within this track "Miss America", listeners are placed in a hotel room near JFK airport, where the musician learns the devastating update of her father's illness diagnosis. This UK-raised artist had been traveling America on her initial visit, drumming with group Kero Kero Bonito, and abruptly grief takes over, coloring all in grey. Faltering keys and soft strings accompany gothic reports from the road: "Rural scenes and crumbling homes / Shopping centers, illicit trades, anxious moments."

Walton's gentle singing are delivered in a flat manner, yet this record's intensity stems from the keen writing—mixing stories, traditional phrases, and blunt diary entries—along with surprising rich textures. Not many tracks this year possess more potent novelistic style compared to "Shelly", a piece that describes the death of a deer and spirals toward a fuel-soaked confrontation, evoking literary works illuminated by glimpses of distorted strings. Tense, quiet sections with echoing, strummed guitar transition into grand refrains, with her voice digitally manipulated to become something omniscient and menacing.

Audiences may previously know Walton as a music creator, disc jockey, and member in groups like Caroline. The album's musical twists reflect her diverse career. The opener "Sometimes" bursts with flourish, as if a string band taken by surprise, whereas "Born Again Backwards" drastically increases the tempo via an intense, beautiful, looping percussion. Thick layers of audio, expertly mixed with a longtime partner, feel at once rough and ethereal, and her morbid, magical thoughts peak on highlight "Lambs", a song that momentarily becomes a swirling dance. "I hope your existence doesn't conclude with dying," she pleads, with heart-aching gallows humor.

Brittney Church
Brittney Church

Elara Vance is a seasoned political analyst with a focus on UK affairs, providing sharp commentary and data-driven insights.