The Debut Album "Daughters" Delves Into Grief and Elegance
Within this song "Miss America", audiences find themselves inside a hotel room close to JFK airport, where the musician learns a devastating update of her father's cancer discovery. This Sunderland-born performer had been touring the US for the first time, playing alongside indie band Kero Kero Bonito, when abruptly grief takes over, tinging all in grey. Unsteady piano and hushed strings underscore dark reports emanating from the tour van: "Cattle farm and broke down shack / Shopping centers, illicit trades, anxious moments."
Walton's gentle singing come across in a flat style, while the record's intensity stems from her keen penmanship—mixing fiction, traditional phrases, and direct diary entries—coupled with unexpected rich textures. Few songs recently showcase more potent novelistic flair compared to "Shelly", which depicts the killing of a deer and descends into a petrol-laden reckoning, reminiscent of literary pieces illuminated by glimpses of distorted cello. Tense, quiet sections with echoing, plucked guitar transition into grand refrains, with Walton's voice electronically altered to become a presence omniscient and menacing.
Audiences might already be familiar with the artist from her work as a music creator, disc jockey, and member in groups such as Caroline. Daughters' musical twists draw on this varied career. The opener "Sometimes" bursts in fanfare, as if an ensemble taken by surprise, whereas "Born Again Backwards" radically increases the tempo via a punishing, stunning, looping percussion. Thick walls of sound, skillfully mixed with a longtime partner, feel at once gnarly and ethereal, and her dark, magical thoughts culminate on highlight "Lambs", which briefly transforms into a twirling jig. "I hope your existence doesn't conclude with dying," Walton pleads, exuding heart-aching dark comedy.
