The First Record "Daughters" Explores Sorrow and Elegance
In this song "Miss America", listeners are placed inside a lodging near JFK airport, where the musician receives the devastating news that her dad has cancer discovery. This UK-raised artist had been touring America on her initial visit, playing with group Kero Kero Bonito, when suddenly grief takes over, tinging everything with melancholy. Faltering keys and soft orchestration underscore dark dispatches from the tour van: "Rural scenes and crumbling homes / Strip-mall, drug deal, panic attacks."
Her soft singing come across in a flat style, yet this record's tension arises from the keen writing—mixing fiction, folksy sayings, and blunt diary entries—coupled with surprising maximalism. Not many songs this year showcase more potent novelistic flair compared to "Shelly", a piece that describes the death of an animal and descends toward a petrol-laden confrontation, reminiscent of written pieces illuminated by glimpses of warped cello. Tense, quiet sections with resonating, strummed strings move into expansive choruses, and her vocals digitally manipulated to become something omniscient and sinister.
Audiences may already be familiar with the artist as an electronic producer, DJ, and member to bands like Caroline. The album's musical twists reflect her diverse background. The first track "Sometimes" erupts in fanfare, like a string band taken by surprise, whereas "Born Again Backwards" drastically ups the tempo via a punishing, beautiful, looping drum fill. Thick layers of audio, expertly produced by a longtime partner, seem both gnarly and spiritual, and her morbid, magical thinking culminate in highlight "Lambs", a song that briefly transforms into a twirling jig. "I hope your existence doesn't conclude with dying," she pleads, exuding poignant gallows humor.
