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Within this track "Miss America", listeners find themselves in a lodging near JFK airport, where Jennifer Walton receives the devastating news of her father's cancer discovery. This Sunderland-born artist had been touring the US for the first time, drumming alongside indie band Kero Kero Bonito, when suddenly grief takes over, coloring all in grey. Faltering piano and hushed orchestration accompany dark reports emanating from the road: "Cattle farm and broke down shack / Strip-mall, drug deal, panic attacks."

Her soft vocals come across with a deadpan style, while this record's tension stems from the keen writing—mixing stories, traditional phrases, and blunt personal notes—coupled with surprising maximalism. Few songs this year showcase more potent novelistic flair than "Shelly", which describes the death of an animal and spirals toward a petrol-laden reckoning, reminiscent of literary pieces lit by glimpses of warped cello. Anxious, subdued verses featuring resonating, strummed strings move into grand refrains, with Walton's voice electronically altered to become a presence omniscient and menacing.

Audiences may already be familiar with Walton as a music creator, disc jockey, and contributor in groups like Caroline. Daughters' sonic turns draw on this diverse career. The opener "Sometimes" erupts with flourish, as if an ensemble taken unawares, whereas "Born Again Backwards" radically ups the tempo via an intense, stunning, looping drum fill. Dense walls of sound, skillfully produced with a long-term partner, seem at once rough and ethereal, and her dark, enchanted thoughts peak on highlight "Lambs", which momentarily becomes a swirling dance. "I hope your existence doesn't conclude with dying," Walton bargains, exuding heart-aching dark comedy.