Jennifer Walton's Debut Record "Daughters" Delves Into Grief and Style
In this track "Miss America", audiences find themselves inside a hotel room near JFK airport, where Jennifer Walton learns a devastating update of her father's cancer discovery. This UK-raised performer was touring America for the first time, drumming alongside indie band Kero Kero Bonito, and suddenly sadness casts a shadow, coloring all with melancholy. Unsteady piano and soft orchestration accompany gothic reports from the tour van: "Cattle farm and broke down shack / Shopping centers, illicit trades, anxious moments."
Walton's soft singing come across with a flat manner, while the record's intensity stems from her keen penmanship—mixing fiction, folksy sayings, and direct personal notes—coupled with unexpected rich textures. Few songs this year possess stronger storytelling style than "Shelly", which describes the death of a deer and descends into a fuel-soaked reckoning, reminiscent of written pieces illuminated with flickers of warped cello. Tense, quiet verses featuring echoing, strummed guitar move into expansive choruses, and Walton's voice electronically altered into something omniscient and sinister.
Audiences might already know Walton as an electronic producer, disc jockey, and member in groups such as Caroline. Daughters' musical twists reflect this varied career. The first track "Sometimes" bursts with fanfare, like a string band caught by surprise, whereas "Born Again Backwards" drastically increases the BPM with an intense, stunning, looping drum fill. Thick layers of audio, skillfully mixed by a long-term partner, feel both rough and ethereal, while her morbid, enchanted thoughts peak on standout "Lambs", a song that briefly transforms into a twirling jig. "I hope your existence doesn't conclude with dying," Walton bargains, with heart-aching dark comedy.
