Jennifer Walton's First Album "Daughters" Delves Into Sorrow and Elegance
Within the song "Miss America", listeners are placed in a lodging near JFK airport, where Jennifer Walton learns the heartbreaking update of her father's illness discovery. This UK-raised artist had been traveling the US for the first time, drumming alongside group Kero Kero Bonito, when suddenly sadness casts a shadow, tinging everything in grey. Unsteady keys and hushed orchestration accompany gothic dispatches 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, yet this album's intensity stems from her keen writing—blending fiction, folksy sayings, and direct personal notes—coupled with surprising maximalism. Not many songs this year showcase more potent novelistic flair compared to "Shelly", a piece that describes the killing of a deer and descends into a fuel-soaked confrontation, reminiscent of written pieces lit with glimpses of distorted cello. Anxious, quiet verses featuring resonating, plucked strings move to expansive choruses, and Walton's vocals electronically altered to become a presence omniscient and menacing.
Listeners may previously be familiar with Walton as an electronic producer, disc jockey, and member in groups such as Caroline. The album's sonic turns reflect her diverse background. The opener "Sometimes" erupts with fanfare, like a string band caught unawares, whereas "Born Again Backwards" radically ups the tempo via an intense, beautiful, looping drum fill. Thick layers of audio, expertly produced by a long-term partner, feel at once rough and ethereal, and her morbid, magical thoughts peak in highlight "Lambs", which momentarily transforms into a twirling jig. "May your life never end in death," Walton pleads, exuding poignant gallows humor.
