The First Record "Daughters" Delves Into Grief and Style
In the track "Miss America", listeners are placed inside a lodging near JFK airfield, where the musician receives the devastating news that her dad has illness discovery. The UK-raised artist had been traveling America on her initial visit, drumming alongside indie band Kero Kero Bonito, when abruptly sadness takes over, coloring everything with melancholy. Faltering keys and soft strings accompany dark dispatches emanating from the road: "Cattle farm and broke down shack / Shopping centers, illicit trades, anxious moments."
Walton's gentle vocals come across with a flat manner, while the record's intensity stems from her sharp writing—blending fiction, traditional phrases, and blunt personal notes—along with unexpected maximalism. Not many tracks this year showcase stronger novelistic style compared to "Shelly", which depicts the killing of an animal and spirals into a fuel-soaked confrontation, reminiscent of literary pieces illuminated by glimpses of distorted cello. Anxious, quiet sections featuring echoing, strummed strings move into expansive choruses, with her voice electronically altered into a presence all-knowing and menacing.
Listeners might already be familiar with Walton from her work as a music creator, DJ, and contributor to bands like Caroline. Daughters' sonic turns reflect this diverse background. The first track "Sometimes" erupts with fanfare, as if an ensemble caught unawares, whereas "Born Again Backwards" radically increases the BPM with an intense, stunning, repeating drum fill. Dense walls of sound, skillfully mixed with a longtime collaborator, seem at once gnarly and spiritual, while her dark, magical thinking culminate on highlight "Lambs", a song that briefly becomes a twirling jig. "I hope your existence doesn't conclude with dying," Walton bargains, with poignant gallows humor.