Jennifer Walton's First Record "Daughters" Delves Into Grief and Style
Within the song "Miss America", audiences find themselves inside a lodging near JFK airport, as Jennifer Walton receives the heartbreaking news that her dad has cancer diagnosis. This Sunderland-born artist had been traveling America for the first time, drumming with group Kero Kero Bonito, and suddenly grief takes over, tinging all in grey. Faltering piano and soft orchestration underscore dark reports emanating from the tour van: "Rural scenes and crumbling homes / Shopping centers, illicit trades, anxious moments."
Walton's gentle vocals are delivered in a flat style, while the album's tension arises from the keen writing—blending fiction, traditional phrases, and direct diary entries—along with surprising rich textures. Few songs this year possess stronger novelistic style than "Shelly", a piece that describes the death of an animal and descends toward a petrol-laden reckoning, reminiscent of literary pieces illuminated with glimpses of distorted strings. Anxious, quiet sections featuring resonating, plucked strings transition to expansive refrains, with her vocals digitally manipulated into something all-knowing and sinister.
Listeners may previously know the artist as an electronic producer, disc jockey, and contributor to bands like Caroline. The album's sonic turns draw on her diverse career. The first track "Sometimes" erupts with flourish, like an ensemble caught by surprise, whereas "Born Again Backwards" drastically increases the tempo via a punishing, beautiful, repeating percussion. Thick layers of audio, expertly produced by a longtime partner, seem both gnarly and ethereal, while her dark, enchanted thinking peak on highlight "Lambs", which briefly transforms into a swirling jig. "May your life never end in death," Walton pleads, exuding heart-aching gallows humor.
