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In the song "Miss America", listeners are placed in a hotel room near JFK airfield, where Jennifer Walton receives the heartbreaking news that her dad has illness discovery. This UK-raised artist was touring the US on her initial visit, drumming alongside group Kero Kero Bonito, and suddenly grief takes over, coloring all in grey. Unsteady piano and soft strings accompany gothic reports emanating from the road: "Cattle farm and broke down shack / Shopping centers, illicit trades, anxious moments."

Walton's gentle singing come across in a deadpan style, yet this album's tension arises from the sharp penmanship—mixing stories, traditional phrases, and direct personal notes—along with surprising maximalism. Few tracks recently possess more potent storytelling style compared to "Shelly", a piece that describes the death of a deer and descends into a fuel-soaked reckoning, evoking literary pieces illuminated by glimpses of distorted strings. Anxious, quiet sections featuring echoing, strummed strings move into expansive refrains, with her vocals digitally manipulated to become something all-knowing and menacing.

Audiences may already be familiar with Walton as an electronic producer, DJ, and contributor to bands like Caroline. Daughters' musical twists reflect this varied career. The first track "Sometimes" erupts with fanfare, as if an ensemble caught by surprise, whereas "Born Again Backwards" radically ups the tempo via an intense, beautiful, repeating percussion. Dense layers of audio, skillfully produced by a longtime collaborator, seem at once rough and ethereal, while Walton's dark, magical thoughts peak in highlight "Lambs", which momentarily transforms into a twirling dance. "May your life never end in death," Walton bargains, exuding poignant gallows humor.