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Within the track "Miss America", audiences are placed inside a lodging close to JFK airfield, as the musician receives the devastating update of her father's cancer diagnosis. This Sunderland-born artist was touring America on her initial visit, drumming with indie band Kero Kero Bonito, and abruptly sadness casts a shadow, tinging all in grey. Faltering keys and hushed strings accompany dark dispatches from the tour van: "Rural scenes and crumbling homes / Strip-mall, drug deal, panic attacks."

Her gentle singing are delivered in a deadpan manner, yet the record's tension stems from her keen writing—mixing fiction, traditional phrases, and direct personal notes—along with surprising maximalism. Not many songs this year showcase more potent storytelling flair than "Shelly", which depicts the death of a deer and spirals toward a fuel-soaked confrontation, reminiscent of written works illuminated with glimpses of warped cello. Tense, subdued verses with resonating, plucked strings transition into expansive refrains, and her vocals electronically altered into a presence omniscient and menacing.

Audiences might previously know Walton from her work as a music creator, disc jockey, and member to bands like Caroline. The album's sonic turns draw on her diverse background. The first track "Sometimes" bursts with flourish, like an ensemble caught by surprise, whereas "Born Again Backwards" drastically ups the BPM via an intense, beautiful, looping percussion. Dense layers of audio, skillfully mixed with a long-term collaborator, feel both gnarly and spiritual, and Walton's morbid, magical thinking culminate in standout "Lambs", which momentarily transforms into a twirling dance. "I hope your existence doesn't conclude with dying," she pleads, exuding heart-aching dark comedy.