🔗 Share this article

In this song "Miss America", listeners find themselves in a hotel room close to JFK airport, as the musician learns the devastating news of her father's cancer diagnosis. This UK-raised artist was touring the US on her initial visit, drumming with indie band Kero Kero Bonito, and suddenly sadness takes over, coloring everything in grey. Faltering piano and hushed orchestration accompany gothic dispatches from the road: "Cattle farm and broke down shack / Shopping centers, illicit trades, anxious moments."

Walton's gentle vocals come across in a flat style, yet the record's intensity stems from the sharp penmanship—blending stories, traditional phrases, and direct personal notes—along with surprising rich textures. Not many tracks recently possess more potent storytelling flair than "Shelly", a piece that describes the killing of a deer and spirals toward a petrol-laden reckoning, evoking written pieces illuminated with glimpses of distorted cello. Anxious, subdued verses featuring echoing, strummed strings transition to expansive refrains, with Walton's voice electronically altered into a presence all-knowing and menacing.

Listeners may already know Walton as an electronic producer, disc jockey, and member to bands like Caroline. The album's musical twists reflect this diverse career. The first track "Sometimes" bursts with flourish, like an ensemble taken unawares, whereas "Born Again Backwards" drastically increases the tempo with an intense, stunning, looping drum fill. Dense layers of audio, skillfully produced by a longtime partner, seem both gnarly and spiritual, while Walton's morbid, magical thoughts peak in highlight "Lambs", a song that briefly transforms into a twirling dance. "I hope your existence doesn't conclude with dying," Walton pleads, with heart-aching gallows humor.