The First Album "Daughters" Delves Into Sorrow and Style
Within this song "Miss America", audiences find themselves inside a hotel room close to JFK airport, as the musician learns the heartbreaking news of her father's illness diagnosis. The UK-raised artist had been touring America on her initial visit, drumming with indie band Kero Kero Bonito, and abruptly grief takes over, tinging everything with melancholy. Faltering piano and hushed strings underscore gothic dispatches emanating from the road: "Rural scenes and crumbling homes / Strip-mall, drug deal, panic attacks."
Her soft singing are delivered with a deadpan manner, yet the album's intensity stems from the keen writing—blending fiction, traditional phrases, and blunt diary entries—along with unexpected maximalism. Not many songs this year showcase more potent storytelling style compared to "Shelly", a piece that describes the killing of an animal and descends toward a petrol-laden confrontation, reminiscent of literary pieces illuminated by glimpses of warped cello. Tense, quiet sections with resonating, plucked guitar transition into grand choruses, with Walton's vocals digitally manipulated to become something omniscient and sinister.
Listeners might already know the artist as a music creator, DJ, and contributor to bands such as Caroline. Daughters' musical twists draw on this diverse background. The opener "Sometimes" bursts with flourish, like a string band caught by surprise, while "Born Again Backwards" drastically ups the tempo via an intense, stunning, repeating drum fill. Thick layers of audio, expertly mixed with a longtime collaborator, feel at once rough and spiritual, while her dark, magical thinking culminate on highlight "Lambs", a song that momentarily transforms into a twirling dance. "I hope your existence doesn't conclude with dying," she pleads, with poignant dark comedy.
