In the song "Miss America", listeners are placed inside a lodging near JFK airport, as the musician receives a devastating news that her dad has cancer discovery. The Sunderland-born performer was traveling the US on her initial visit, playing with group Kero Kero Bonito, when suddenly grief casts a shadow, coloring all with melancholy. Faltering keys and hushed strings underscore dark reports from the road: "Cattle farm and broke down shack / Strip-mall, drug deal, panic attacks."
Walton's soft vocals are delivered in a deadpan style, yet this record's tension arises from the keen writing—blending stories, folksy sayings, and blunt personal notes—coupled with surprising rich textures. Not many tracks this year showcase stronger storytelling style compared to "Shelly", which depicts the death of a deer and descends toward a fuel-soaked confrontation, reminiscent of written pieces lit with flickers of distorted strings. Tense, quiet verses featuring resonating, plucked guitar transition to grand choruses, and her voice digitally manipulated to become a presence omniscient and sinister.
Listeners might previously know Walton from her work as an electronic producer, DJ, and contributor to bands like Caroline. Daughters' musical twists draw on her varied career. The first track "Sometimes" erupts with fanfare, as if an ensemble taken by surprise, whereas "Born Again Backwards" drastically ups the BPM via a punishing, stunning, repeating percussion. Dense layers of audio, expertly produced by a longtime partner, seem both gnarly and spiritual, while her dark, magical thoughts peak in highlight "Lambs", which briefly becomes a swirling dance. "I hope your existence doesn't conclude with dying," she pleads, with heart-aching dark comedy.