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In this song "Miss America", audiences find themselves in a hotel room close to JFK airfield, where the musician receives a devastating update of her father's illness discovery. This UK-raised performer was traveling America on her initial visit, drumming with indie band Kero Kero Bonito, when abruptly grief casts a shadow, tinging all with melancholy. Faltering piano and hushed orchestration accompany gothic dispatches from the road: "Cattle farm and broke down shack / Strip-mall, drug deal, panic attacks."

Her gentle vocals come across with a deadpan manner, while the album's tension stems from the sharp writing—mixing fiction, traditional phrases, and direct diary entries—coupled with surprising rich textures. Few tracks recently showcase stronger storytelling flair than "Shelly", a piece that describes the death of a deer and descends toward a petrol-laden reckoning, evoking written works illuminated by glimpses of distorted cello. Tense, subdued verses featuring echoing, plucked strings move to grand refrains, and her vocals electronically altered into something omniscient and menacing.

Audiences might already be familiar with the artist as a music creator, disc jockey, and contributor in groups like Caroline. The album's musical twists reflect this diverse career. The first track "Sometimes" erupts in fanfare, like a string band taken unawares, while "Born Again Backwards" radically increases the tempo via an intense, stunning, repeating drum fill. Thick walls of sound, expertly produced by a longtime collaborator, feel at once rough and spiritual, and Walton's morbid, enchanted thinking culminate on standout "Lambs", a song that briefly transforms into a swirling dance. "I hope your existence doesn't conclude with dying," Walton bargains, exuding heart-aching gallows humor.