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In the song "Miss America", listeners find themselves in a hotel room close to JFK airfield, where Jennifer Walton learns the devastating news of her father's cancer diagnosis. The UK-raised artist was touring America on her initial visit, playing alongside group Kero Kero Bonito, when suddenly grief takes over, coloring everything in grey. Faltering keys and soft orchestration accompany gothic dispatches from the tour van: "Cattle farm and broke down shack / Shopping centers, illicit trades, anxious moments."

Her soft singing are delivered in a deadpan manner, yet the record's intensity arises from the sharp writing—mixing stories, folksy sayings, and blunt personal notes—coupled with surprising rich textures. Few songs this year possess more potent novelistic style than "Shelly", a piece that describes the killing of a deer and spirals toward a fuel-soaked reckoning, reminiscent of literary pieces lit by glimpses of warped cello. Tense, subdued sections featuring echoing, strummed strings move to expansive refrains, with Walton's vocals electronically altered to become a presence all-knowing and menacing.

Audiences may already be familiar with Walton as a music creator, DJ, and contributor in groups like Caroline. Daughters' musical twists reflect her varied career. The opener "Sometimes" erupts in fanfare, like an ensemble caught by surprise, while "Born Again Backwards" radically increases the BPM with an intense, stunning, repeating percussion. Dense layers of audio, skillfully mixed with a longtime partner, feel both rough and spiritual, and Walton's morbid, magical thinking peak on standout "Lambs", a song that briefly becomes a swirling jig. "May your life never end in death," Walton bargains, with heart-aching dark comedy.