The First Record "Daughters" Delves Into Sorrow and Style

In the track "Miss America", listeners are placed inside a lodging near JFK airport, as the musician learns the heartbreaking update of her father's cancer discovery. This Sunderland-born performer was touring America on her initial visit, drumming alongside group Kero Kero Bonito, when suddenly grief takes over, tinging everything with melancholy. Unsteady keys and soft strings underscore gothic dispatches from the tour van: "Rural scenes and crumbling homes / Shopping centers, illicit trades, anxious moments."

Walton's soft vocals are delivered in a deadpan manner, yet this record's tension arises from her sharp penmanship—mixing stories, traditional phrases, and blunt personal notes—along with unexpected maximalism. Not many tracks this year showcase more potent storytelling style compared to "Shelly", a piece that depicts the killing of a deer and descends toward a fuel-soaked confrontation, reminiscent of written pieces illuminated by flickers of warped strings. Anxious, quiet verses featuring echoing, plucked guitar move into grand choruses, with Walton's voice digitally manipulated into something omniscient and menacing.

Audiences may already be familiar with Walton from her work as a music creator, disc jockey, and contributor to bands such as Caroline. Daughters' sonic turns draw on this varied career. The opener "Sometimes" erupts in flourish, like a string band taken by surprise, whereas "Born Again Backwards" radically increases the tempo with an intense, beautiful, repeating percussion. Dense layers of audio, expertly produced by a longtime partner, feel at once rough and ethereal, while her dark, enchanted thinking culminate in highlight "Lambs", which briefly becomes a twirling jig. "May your life never end in death," Walton pleads, exuding heart-aching gallows humor.