Jennifer Walton's First Album "Daughters" Delves Into Sorrow and Style
In the track "Miss America", audiences are placed in a lodging close to JFK airport, as Jennifer Walton learns the devastating news of her father's cancer diagnosis. The UK-raised artist was touring America on her initial visit, playing alongside group Kero Kero Bonito, when suddenly sadness takes over, coloring everything in grey. Unsteady piano and soft strings accompany dark dispatches emanating from the road: "Rural scenes and crumbling homes / Strip-mall, drug deal, panic attacks."
Her gentle singing are delivered in a flat manner, while this album's intensity stems from her keen penmanship—mixing stories, traditional phrases, and direct personal notes—along with surprising rich textures. Not many songs this year showcase more potent storytelling flair compared to "Shelly", which depicts the killing of a deer and spirals into a petrol-laden confrontation, evoking literary pieces lit by flickers of warped cello. Tense, quiet verses with echoing, strummed strings transition to expansive choruses, with Walton's voice digitally manipulated to become something omniscient and menacing.
Audiences may previously know Walton as a music creator, disc jockey, and member to bands such as Caroline. The album's musical twists reflect her diverse career. The opener "Sometimes" erupts with fanfare, as if an ensemble caught unawares, while "Born Again Backwards" radically increases the tempo with an intense, beautiful, looping percussion. Thick layers of audio, expertly produced with a long-term collaborator, feel both rough and ethereal, and Walton's morbid, magical thinking peak on highlight "Lambs", a song that momentarily transforms into a swirling jig. "May your life never end in death," Walton bargains, exuding heart-aching dark comedy.
