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Within the song "Miss America", listeners find themselves inside a hotel room near JFK airport, as Jennifer Walton learns a devastating update that her dad has illness discovery. The UK-raised artist had been traveling America for the first time, playing alongside group Kero Kero Bonito, when suddenly grief takes over, coloring everything in grey. Faltering keys and soft strings accompany dark dispatches emanating from the tour van: "Cattle farm and broke down shack / Shopping centers, illicit trades, anxious moments."

Walton's soft vocals come across in a deadpan style, while the record's intensity arises from the keen penmanship—mixing fiction, traditional phrases, and direct diary entries—along with surprising maximalism. Few songs this year showcase stronger storytelling style than "Shelly", a piece that describes the death of an animal and descends toward a fuel-soaked confrontation, reminiscent of literary pieces lit by flickers of warped strings. Anxious, subdued verses featuring echoing, strummed guitar move into expansive refrains, with Walton's vocals digitally manipulated to become something all-knowing and sinister.

Audiences may already be familiar with Walton as an electronic producer, disc jockey, and member in groups such as Caroline. The album's musical twists reflect this varied career. The first track "Sometimes" erupts in fanfare, like a string band caught unawares, whereas "Born Again Backwards" radically ups the tempo with a punishing, stunning, repeating drum fill. Dense layers of audio, skillfully produced by a long-term partner, feel at once gnarly and ethereal, and her dark, enchanted thoughts peak in standout "Lambs", which momentarily transforms into a twirling dance. "I hope your existence doesn't conclude with dying," she bargains, exuding poignant dark comedy.