The First Album "Daughters" Delves Into Grief and Elegance
Within the song "Miss America", listeners are placed inside a lodging close to JFK airport, where the musician learns the heartbreaking news that her dad has cancer discovery. This UK-raised performer had been touring the US for the first time, playing alongside group Kero Kero Bonito, and suddenly grief takes over, tinging everything with melancholy. Faltering piano and hushed orchestration accompany gothic reports emanating from the tour van: "Cattle farm and broke down shack / Shopping centers, illicit trades, anxious moments."
Her soft vocals are delivered in a deadpan style, while the record's intensity stems from the sharp penmanship—blending fiction, folksy sayings, and direct personal notes—coupled with unexpected maximalism. Few songs this year showcase stronger novelistic style compared to "Shelly", a piece that depicts the death of an animal and descends into a fuel-soaked confrontation, evoking literary pieces lit by glimpses of warped strings. Tense, subdued verses featuring resonating, plucked strings move to grand refrains, and Walton's voice digitally manipulated to become a presence all-knowing and sinister.
Listeners may already know the artist from her work as an electronic producer, disc jockey, and member to bands like Caroline. Daughters' musical twists reflect this varied background. The opener "Sometimes" bursts in fanfare, as if an ensemble caught unawares, while "Born Again Backwards" radically ups the BPM with a punishing, stunning, looping drum fill. Thick walls of sound, expertly produced by a long-term collaborator, seem both gnarly and ethereal, while Walton's dark, magical thinking culminate on standout "Lambs", which momentarily transforms into a twirling jig. "I hope your existence doesn't conclude with dying," she pleads, with poignant dark comedy.
