Jennifer Walton's Debut Album "Daughters" Delves Into Grief and Style
Within this track "Miss America", audiences are placed inside a lodging near JFK airfield, as the musician learns a devastating update of her father's cancer discovery. The UK-raised performer had been traveling America for the first time, playing alongside group Kero Kero Bonito, and suddenly sadness casts a shadow, coloring everything in grey. Faltering piano and hushed strings accompany dark reports from the tour van: "Rural scenes and crumbling homes / Shopping centers, illicit trades, anxious moments."
Walton's soft vocals come across in a flat style, while this record's intensity stems from the keen writing—blending fiction, folksy sayings, and direct diary entries—coupled with unexpected maximalism. Few tracks recently possess more potent storytelling style than "Shelly", which describes the killing of an animal and descends toward a petrol-laden reckoning, reminiscent of literary pieces lit by glimpses of warped cello. Tense, subdued sections featuring resonating, plucked strings move into expansive refrains, with her vocals digitally manipulated into something omniscient and menacing.
Audiences might already know the artist as an electronic producer, disc jockey, and contributor in groups like Caroline. Daughters' sonic turns reflect this varied career. The opener "Sometimes" erupts in fanfare, like an ensemble taken by surprise, whereas "Born Again Backwards" drastically ups the BPM via an intense, stunning, repeating percussion. Thick layers of audio, expertly produced by a long-term collaborator, feel both rough and ethereal, and Walton's dark, enchanted thoughts peak in highlight "Lambs", which momentarily becomes a twirling jig. "May your life never end in death," she pleads, with heart-aching gallows humor.
