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Within the song "Miss America", listeners find themselves inside a lodging close to JFK airport, as the musician learns the heartbreaking update of her father's illness diagnosis. This Sunderland-born performer was traveling the US on her initial visit, playing alongside indie band Kero Kero Bonito, when suddenly sadness casts a shadow, tinging all with melancholy. Unsteady keys and soft orchestration underscore gothic dispatches emanating from the tour van: "Cattle farm and broke down shack / Shopping centers, illicit trades, anxious moments."

Her soft singing come across with a deadpan style, yet this album's tension stems from the sharp writing—mixing fiction, folksy sayings, and blunt diary entries—coupled with unexpected rich textures. Not many songs recently possess stronger storytelling style compared to "Shelly", which depicts the death of an animal and spirals toward a fuel-soaked confrontation, reminiscent of written pieces illuminated by glimpses of distorted strings. Tense, quiet sections featuring echoing, strummed guitar transition into grand refrains, and her vocals digitally manipulated into something all-knowing and menacing.

Audiences might previously know the artist as an electronic producer, DJ, and member in groups such as Caroline. The album's sonic turns reflect her diverse background. The first track "Sometimes" erupts with fanfare, as if a string band caught by surprise, while "Born Again Backwards" drastically increases the BPM via an intense, beautiful, repeating drum fill. Thick layers of audio, expertly mixed with a long-term collaborator, seem at once rough and spiritual, while Walton's dark, magical thoughts peak in standout "Lambs", a song that briefly transforms into a twirling dance. "May your life never end in death," Walton pleads, with poignant gallows humor.