Jennifer Walton's First Album "Daughters" Delves Into Sorrow and Elegance
Within this song "Miss America", audiences are placed in a hotel room near JFK airfield, as Jennifer Walton receives the heartbreaking update of her father's illness discovery. The UK-raised performer had been traveling the US on her initial visit, playing with group Kero Kero Bonito, and abruptly grief casts a shadow, tinging everything with melancholy. Unsteady piano and hushed orchestration accompany dark reports emanating from the road: "Cattle farm and broke down shack / Shopping centers, illicit trades, anxious moments."
Her soft vocals come across with a deadpan manner, while the album's intensity arises from the sharp writing—mixing stories, traditional phrases, and blunt personal notes—along with surprising maximalism. Few songs this year showcase more potent novelistic flair compared to "Shelly", a piece that describes the killing of a deer and descends into a fuel-soaked confrontation, reminiscent of written pieces lit by glimpses of distorted cello. Tense, subdued sections with echoing, strummed guitar transition into expansive choruses, and her vocals digitally manipulated to become something all-knowing and menacing.
Audiences may already know Walton from her work as an electronic producer, disc jockey, and member in groups such as Caroline. Daughters' musical twists reflect her varied background. The first track "Sometimes" erupts in flourish, as if an ensemble taken by surprise, whereas "Born Again Backwards" radically increases the tempo via an intense, stunning, repeating drum fill. Thick walls of sound, expertly produced by a longtime partner, feel at once rough and spiritual, and her dark, enchanted thoughts peak in standout "Lambs", which momentarily becomes a twirling dance. "I hope your existence doesn't conclude with dying," Walton bargains, exuding heart-aching dark comedy.
