Jennifer Walton's Debut Record "Daughters" Explores Grief and Elegance
In this song "Miss America", audiences find themselves inside a lodging close to JFK airport, as the musician receives a heartbreaking news that her dad has cancer diagnosis. The Sunderland-born performer had been traveling America for the first time, drumming with indie band Kero Kero Bonito, and suddenly sadness takes over, coloring everything in grey. Unsteady keys and soft orchestration underscore gothic reports from the road: "Cattle farm and broke down shack / Strip-mall, drug deal, panic attacks."
Her gentle vocals are delivered in a flat manner, yet this record's intensity stems from her sharp penmanship—blending fiction, folksy sayings, and blunt diary entries—coupled with surprising maximalism. Few songs recently possess more potent novelistic flair compared to "Shelly", a piece that depicts the killing of a deer and spirals toward a fuel-soaked confrontation, reminiscent of written pieces lit by glimpses of distorted cello. Anxious, quiet verses with echoing, strummed strings transition into grand refrains, with her voice digitally manipulated into a presence omniscient and menacing.
Audiences might previously be familiar with the artist as an electronic producer, disc jockey, and contributor to bands like Caroline. The album's musical twists reflect her varied background. The opener "Sometimes" erupts in flourish, like an ensemble taken by surprise, while "Born Again Backwards" radically ups the tempo via an intense, beautiful, repeating drum fill. Thick layers of audio, skillfully produced with a long-term partner, seem both rough and ethereal, while her dark, magical thoughts culminate on highlight "Lambs", which briefly transforms into a swirling jig. "May your life never end in death," Walton bargains, exuding heart-aching dark comedy.