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In the song "Miss America", audiences find themselves inside a lodging near JFK airport, as Jennifer Walton receives the devastating news that her dad has illness diagnosis. The Sunderland-born performer had been traveling the US for the first time, drumming with indie band Kero Kero Bonito, when suddenly sadness takes over, coloring everything in grey. Faltering keys and hushed strings underscore dark dispatches from the road: "Rural scenes and crumbling homes / Shopping centers, illicit trades, anxious moments."

Her gentle vocals come across in a flat style, yet this album's tension stems from her sharp writing—mixing fiction, folksy sayings, and direct personal notes—along with unexpected maximalism. Not many tracks this year showcase stronger novelistic style than "Shelly", which depicts the death of an animal and spirals into a petrol-laden reckoning, evoking literary works illuminated with glimpses of warped strings. Anxious, subdued sections with resonating, strummed strings transition into grand refrains, and Walton's voice electronically altered into something all-knowing and menacing.

Audiences might previously be familiar with the artist as an electronic producer, disc jockey, and member in groups like Caroline. Daughters' musical twists reflect her diverse career. The first track "Sometimes" erupts with fanfare, like an ensemble taken unawares, while "Born Again Backwards" radically ups the BPM via a punishing, beautiful, repeating percussion. Thick walls of sound, expertly mixed by a longtime partner, feel both gnarly and ethereal, and her dark, magical thoughts peak on standout "Lambs", which briefly becomes a twirling jig. "May your life never end in death," Walton pleads, exuding heart-aching gallows humor.