Jennifer Walton's Debut Record "Daughters" Explores Sorrow and Elegance
Within this song "Miss America", listeners are placed inside a hotel room near JFK airfield, where Jennifer Walton learns the devastating news of her father's cancer discovery. The UK-raised performer was traveling America for the first time, drumming with group Kero Kero Bonito, and abruptly grief takes over, tinging everything in grey. Faltering piano and hushed strings accompany dark dispatches from the road: "Cattle farm and broke down shack / Shopping centers, illicit trades, anxious moments."
Her gentle singing come across in a flat manner, while the album's intensity arises from the keen penmanship—blending fiction, folksy sayings, and blunt diary entries—along with surprising rich textures. Not many tracks recently showcase stronger storytelling style compared to "Shelly", which describes the death of an animal and descends into a petrol-laden confrontation, reminiscent of written pieces lit by flickers of distorted cello. Anxious, subdued verses with echoing, strummed guitar transition to grand choruses, and Walton's vocals digitally manipulated into a presence all-knowing and menacing.
Listeners may already be familiar with the artist from her work as a music creator, DJ, and member to bands like Caroline. The album's musical twists reflect her diverse background. The first track "Sometimes" erupts with flourish, like a string band taken unawares, whereas "Born Again Backwards" drastically increases the tempo with a punishing, stunning, repeating drum fill. Dense walls of sound, expertly mixed by a long-term partner, feel both gnarly and spiritual, and Walton's morbid, magical thinking culminate in standout "Lambs", which briefly becomes a swirling dance. "I hope your existence doesn't conclude with dying," she bargains, exuding poignant gallows humor.