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In the song "Miss America", audiences find themselves inside a lodging close to JFK airport, where Jennifer Walton learns the devastating news that her dad has cancer diagnosis. The Sunderland-born artist was traveling the US on her initial visit, drumming alongside group Kero Kero Bonito, when suddenly grief casts a shadow, coloring all in grey. Unsteady keys and hushed strings accompany gothic reports emanating from the tour van: "Cattle farm and broke down shack / Strip-mall, drug deal, panic attacks."

Her gentle singing are delivered in a flat manner, while this record's tension arises from her keen writing—blending fiction, traditional phrases, and blunt diary entries—coupled with surprising rich textures. Few tracks this year possess stronger storytelling style than "Shelly", a piece that depicts the killing of a deer and descends into a fuel-soaked confrontation, reminiscent of literary works illuminated by flickers of warped cello. Tense, quiet verses featuring echoing, plucked strings transition to grand refrains, with her vocals digitally manipulated to become something omniscient and menacing.

Audiences may already be familiar with the artist as an electronic producer, disc jockey, and contributor in groups such as Caroline. The album's musical twists draw on her diverse background. The opener "Sometimes" erupts with fanfare, as if a string band taken unawares, while "Born Again Backwards" radically ups the BPM via a punishing, beautiful, looping percussion. Thick walls of sound, skillfully mixed by a longtime partner, feel both rough and ethereal, while her dark, magical thinking culminate on highlight "Lambs", which briefly becomes a twirling jig. "I hope your existence doesn't conclude with dying," she pleads, with heart-aching dark comedy.