Jennifer Walton's First Album "Daughters" Delves Into Grief and Style
Within this song "Miss America", listeners are placed in a hotel room close to JFK airport, as the musician learns the devastating news of her father's cancer diagnosis. The Sunderland-born artist had been traveling America for the first time, drumming with indie band Kero Kero Bonito, and suddenly grief casts a shadow, tinging all in grey. Unsteady keys and hushed orchestration underscore gothic reports emanating from the road: "Rural scenes and crumbling homes / Shopping centers, illicit trades, anxious moments."
Walton's gentle vocals come across with a flat style, while the record's intensity stems from her sharp penmanship—mixing stories, folksy sayings, and blunt diary entries—coupled with unexpected maximalism. Not many songs recently possess more potent novelistic style compared to "Shelly", a piece that depicts the killing of an animal and descends toward a petrol-laden confrontation, evoking literary works lit with flickers of warped cello. Anxious, subdued verses with echoing, plucked guitar transition to expansive refrains, with her voice digitally manipulated to become a presence all-knowing and sinister.
Audiences may already know Walton from her work as a music creator, disc jockey, and member to bands such as Caroline. The album's sonic turns reflect her varied background. The first track "Sometimes" erupts with flourish, like a string band caught unawares, whereas "Born Again Backwards" drastically increases the BPM via a punishing, beautiful, repeating percussion. Thick walls of sound, expertly mixed with a longtime partner, feel both gnarly and ethereal, and her dark, magical thoughts culminate in standout "Lambs", which briefly transforms into a twirling dance. "I hope your existence doesn't conclude with dying," she pleads, with poignant gallows humor.
