Jennifer Walton's First Record "Daughters" Delves Into Grief and Elegance
In this track "Miss America", audiences find themselves in a lodging close to JFK airport, as Jennifer Walton learns a heartbreaking update of her father's illness diagnosis. This Sunderland-born artist had been touring America for the first time, playing alongside group Kero Kero Bonito, and suddenly grief takes over, coloring everything in grey. Unsteady piano and soft strings underscore dark reports emanating from the tour van: "Cattle farm and broke down shack / Strip-mall, drug deal, panic attacks."
Walton's gentle vocals are delivered in a flat manner, yet this record's intensity stems from her sharp writing—blending stories, folksy sayings, and blunt personal notes—coupled with unexpected rich textures. Not many tracks this year possess stronger storytelling flair than "Shelly", a piece that depicts the death of a deer and descends toward a petrol-laden reckoning, reminiscent of literary works lit with glimpses of distorted strings. Tense, subdued verses with resonating, strummed guitar move to grand refrains, and Walton's vocals electronically altered into a presence all-knowing and sinister.
Audiences might already know the artist from her work as an electronic producer, disc jockey, and contributor in groups like Caroline. The album's musical twists draw on her varied background. The first track "Sometimes" bursts in flourish, like a string band taken unawares, while "Born Again Backwards" drastically increases the tempo via an intense, stunning, repeating percussion. Dense layers of audio, expertly mixed with a long-term partner, seem at once rough and ethereal, while her morbid, magical thinking culminate in standout "Lambs", which briefly becomes a swirling dance. "I hope your existence doesn't conclude with dying," Walton bargains, with heart-aching gallows humor.
