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In the track "Miss America", listeners find themselves inside a lodging near JFK airport, as Jennifer Walton learns the heartbreaking news of her father's cancer discovery. This UK-raised artist was traveling America for the first time, playing alongside indie band Kero Kero Bonito, and abruptly grief casts a shadow, tinging everything in grey. Unsteady keys and hushed orchestration underscore gothic reports emanating from the road: "Cattle farm and broke down shack / Strip-mall, drug deal, panic attacks."

Walton's gentle singing are delivered with a deadpan manner, while the album's tension stems from the sharp writing—blending stories, folksy sayings, and blunt personal notes—coupled with surprising maximalism. Not many tracks recently possess stronger storytelling flair compared to "Shelly", which describes the killing of an animal and descends toward a fuel-soaked reckoning, evoking written pieces illuminated with glimpses of distorted cello. Tense, subdued verses featuring echoing, plucked strings transition to expansive choruses, with her vocals electronically altered into something all-knowing and sinister.

Audiences might previously know Walton as a music creator, disc jockey, and member in groups like Caroline. Daughters' sonic turns reflect this varied background. The first track "Sometimes" erupts with flourish, like a string band caught by surprise, while "Born Again Backwards" radically ups the BPM with an intense, stunning, looping percussion. Dense layers of audio, expertly mixed by a long-term collaborator, feel at once rough and ethereal, and Walton's morbid, enchanted thoughts peak in standout "Lambs", which momentarily transforms into a swirling jig. "I hope your existence doesn't conclude with dying," Walton pleads, exuding heart-aching dark comedy.