The Debut Album "Daughters" Explores Sorrow and Elegance

Within this song "Miss America", audiences are placed in a hotel room near JFK airfield, as Jennifer Walton receives the heartbreaking news of her father's illness diagnosis. This UK-raised artist had been traveling the US for the first time, drumming with indie band Kero Kero Bonito, and suddenly grief takes over, coloring everything with melancholy. Faltering piano and hushed strings accompany dark dispatches emanating from the road: "Cattle farm and broke down shack / Strip-mall, drug deal, panic attacks."

Her gentle singing are delivered with a deadpan style, yet this album's tension arises from her sharp penmanship—blending fiction, traditional phrases, and blunt diary entries—coupled with unexpected maximalism. Not many tracks recently showcase stronger storytelling flair than "Shelly", a piece that depicts the death of a deer and descends toward a fuel-soaked reckoning, reminiscent of written works illuminated with glimpses of warped cello. Anxious, subdued verses featuring echoing, strummed guitar transition into expansive refrains, and Walton's voice digitally manipulated into something omniscient and menacing.

Listeners may already be familiar with the artist from her work as an electronic producer, DJ, and member to bands like Caroline. Daughters' musical twists reflect her diverse career. The opener "Sometimes" bursts in flourish, as if an ensemble caught by surprise, whereas "Born Again Backwards" radically increases the BPM with an intense, beautiful, repeating drum fill. Dense walls of sound, expertly mixed with a long-term collaborator, seem both rough and spiritual, while her morbid, magical thoughts peak in standout "Lambs", a song that momentarily transforms into a twirling dance. "I hope your existence doesn't conclude with dying," Walton bargains, with heart-aching dark comedy.

Alexa Smith
Alexa Smith

Elara Vance is a digital culture analyst and tech writer with a background in media studies, focusing on emerging technologies and their societal impacts.