Jennifer Walton's Debut Album "Daughters" Explores Grief and Elegance

Within this song "Miss America", listeners find themselves inside a hotel room close to JFK airport, where Jennifer Walton receives a devastating news of her father's cancer discovery. This Sunderland-born performer was touring the US on her initial visit, drumming alongside indie band Kero Kero Bonito, and abruptly sadness takes over, tinging everything with melancholy. Unsteady keys and soft orchestration accompany gothic dispatches from the tour van: "Rural scenes and crumbling homes / Shopping centers, illicit trades, anxious moments."

Walton's soft singing are delivered with a flat manner, yet the album's intensity arises from the sharp penmanship—blending fiction, traditional phrases, and blunt diary entries—along with surprising rich textures. Not many tracks recently possess more potent storytelling flair compared to "Shelly", which describes the death of a deer and spirals toward a petrol-laden confrontation, evoking written pieces illuminated with glimpses of warped strings. Anxious, subdued sections featuring echoing, plucked strings transition into grand refrains, and her vocals digitally manipulated to become something omniscient and sinister.

Listeners might already be familiar with the artist from her work as a music creator, disc jockey, and contributor to bands like Caroline. The album's sonic turns draw on this varied career. The opener "Sometimes" erupts in fanfare, as if an ensemble caught unawares, whereas "Born Again Backwards" radically increases the tempo with a punishing, beautiful, looping drum fill. Thick layers of audio, skillfully mixed with a longtime collaborator, feel both rough and spiritual, while Walton's dark, magical thoughts culminate on standout "Lambs", which momentarily transforms into a twirling jig. "I hope your existence doesn't conclude with dying," Walton bargains, exuding poignant dark comedy.

Timothy Stanton
Timothy Stanton

Elara is a sustainability advocate and tech innovator, passionate about creating eco-friendly solutions for global challenges.

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