Jennifer Walton's Debut Album "Daughters" Delves Into Sorrow and Style

Within the track "Miss America", listeners are placed in a lodging close to JFK airfield, where Jennifer Walton learns a devastating news that her dad has illness discovery. This UK-raised artist had been traveling America for the first time, playing alongside group Kero Kero Bonito, and suddenly sadness takes over, tinging all in grey. Unsteady piano and soft orchestration accompany gothic reports emanating from the tour van: "Cattle farm and broke down shack / Strip-mall, drug deal, panic attacks."

Walton's gentle singing come across in a flat manner, while this record's tension arises from her keen penmanship—blending stories, traditional phrases, and blunt diary entries—along with unexpected maximalism. Few songs this year possess stronger novelistic flair than "Shelly", which depicts the killing of an animal and descends into a fuel-soaked reckoning, evoking literary works lit with glimpses of warped cello. Anxious, quiet sections with echoing, strummed guitar transition to grand choruses, and her voice digitally manipulated to become something all-knowing and sinister.

Listeners may previously be familiar with the artist from her work as a music creator, DJ, and member in groups such as Caroline. The album's musical twists reflect this diverse background. The first track "Sometimes" erupts in flourish, like a string band taken by surprise, while "Born Again Backwards" radically ups the tempo via a punishing, beautiful, repeating percussion. Thick walls of sound, skillfully mixed by a longtime collaborator, feel both gnarly and spiritual, and Walton's dark, magical thoughts culminate in standout "Lambs", which momentarily transforms into a twirling jig. "May your life never end in death," Walton pleads, with heart-aching dark comedy.

Joel Gutierrez
Joel Gutierrez

Elara Vance is a seasoned journalist specializing in iGaming and regulatory affairs, with over a decade of experience covering the UK market.