Jennifer Walton has a distinguished pedigree in the realm of forward-thinking popular music. The London musician has drummed for the hyperpop bubblegum rockers Kero Kero Bonito and made music with the avant-garde rapper and producer aya, among other connections. On her debut album Daughters, Walton steps into the spotlight, and she makes the most of it.
Though by no means old-fashioned, Daughters is a bit more straightforward than those associations imply. Walton applies some processing to her voice, but in mostly subtle ways that accentuate her emotional clarity. The music has a futuristic edge — like the intense drums and maniacal laughter on "Born Again Backwards" — but the aesthetic choices never obscure the gentle humanity at the core of these songs. It plays like dreamy folk music with some of this world's digital chaos swirling about, a formula that leads to overwhelming beauty when harnessed by Walton and her collaborators.
Contributors to Daughters include aya plus members of caroline and the Shovel Dance Collective. Stream the album below.
Daughters is out now on Local Action.
