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Within the track "Miss America", audiences are placed inside a hotel room near JFK airport, as the musician learns a heartbreaking update of her father's illness discovery. The UK-raised artist was traveling the US for the first time, drumming with indie band Kero Kero Bonito, and suddenly grief takes over, coloring everything in grey. Faltering piano and hushed strings accompany gothic dispatches emanating from the road: "Cattle farm and broke down shack / Shopping centers, illicit trades, anxious moments."

Walton's gentle vocals come across in a flat manner, yet this album's tension arises from the keen writing—mixing stories, folksy sayings, and direct diary entries—coupled with unexpected maximalism. Few tracks recently showcase more potent storytelling flair than "Shelly", which describes the killing of an animal and descends toward a petrol-laden confrontation, reminiscent of written pieces illuminated by flickers of warped strings. Anxious, subdued verses featuring echoing, strummed guitar move into expansive refrains, and her vocals digitally manipulated to become a presence all-knowing and sinister.

Listeners may already be familiar with Walton from her work as a music creator, disc jockey, and contributor to bands such as Caroline. Daughters' musical twists reflect this diverse background. The opener "Sometimes" erupts with flourish, like a string band taken by surprise, whereas "Born Again Backwards" radically ups the tempo via a punishing, beautiful, repeating drum fill. Dense walls of sound, expertly produced by a longtime collaborator, seem both rough and ethereal, and Walton's morbid, enchanted thinking peak in standout "Lambs", a song that momentarily transforms into a swirling dance. "I hope your existence doesn't conclude with dying," Walton bargains, with poignant gallows humor.