Jennifer Walton's Debut Album "Daughters" Explores Grief and Elegance
In this song "Miss America", listeners are placed in a hotel room near JFK airport, as the musician learns a heartbreaking update of her father's cancer diagnosis. This UK-raised artist had been touring the US for the first time, playing with group Kero Kero Bonito, and suddenly sadness takes over, coloring all in grey. Faltering keys and soft strings underscore dark dispatches emanating from the road: "Cattle farm and broke down shack / Shopping centers, illicit trades, anxious moments."
Her soft vocals come across with a flat style, while the record's intensity stems from her sharp penmanship—blending stories, folksy sayings, and blunt personal notes—coupled with surprising maximalism. Few songs recently possess more potent storytelling flair compared to "Shelly", which depicts the killing of an animal and descends toward a petrol-laden reckoning, reminiscent of literary works illuminated with glimpses of warped strings. Tense, quiet verses with resonating, strummed strings transition to expansive refrains, and her vocals electronically altered into a presence omniscient and menacing.
Listeners may already know the artist as an electronic producer, DJ, and contributor in groups such as Caroline. The album's sonic turns draw on her diverse background. The opener "Sometimes" bursts in flourish, as if an ensemble taken by surprise, whereas "Born Again Backwards" drastically ups the BPM with an intense, stunning, repeating drum fill. Thick walls of sound, skillfully mixed by a longtime collaborator, feel at once rough and spiritual, while Walton's dark, enchanted thinking culminate on highlight "Lambs", which momentarily becomes a twirling dance. "I hope your existence doesn't conclude with dying," Walton pleads, with poignant gallows humor.
