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In this track "Miss America", listeners find themselves inside a lodging close to JFK airport, as Jennifer Walton receives a devastating news that her dad has cancer discovery. This UK-raised artist was touring the US for the first time, drumming with group Kero Kero Bonito, and abruptly grief casts a shadow, tinging everything in grey. Faltering keys and soft strings underscore gothic dispatches from the road: "Rural scenes and crumbling homes / Strip-mall, drug deal, panic attacks."

Her soft vocals come across with a flat manner, yet this record's tension arises from her keen penmanship—mixing stories, traditional phrases, and direct diary entries—along with unexpected rich textures. Few songs this year possess stronger storytelling style than "Shelly", which describes the death of a deer and descends into a fuel-soaked reckoning, evoking written works illuminated by flickers of distorted cello. Anxious, quiet sections featuring resonating, strummed strings transition to expansive choruses, and Walton's voice digitally manipulated to become a presence all-knowing and menacing.

Listeners might already be familiar with the artist from her work as an electronic producer, disc jockey, and member in groups such as Caroline. The album's sonic turns reflect this diverse career. The first track "Sometimes" erupts with flourish, as if a string band taken by surprise, whereas "Born Again Backwards" drastically increases the tempo with a punishing, stunning, repeating percussion. Thick walls of sound, expertly mixed by a long-term partner, seem both rough and spiritual, while her morbid, magical thinking culminate on highlight "Lambs", which briefly becomes a twirling dance. "May your life never end in death," she bargains, exuding heart-aching dark comedy.