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Within the track "Miss America", listeners are placed in a hotel room near JFK airfield, as Jennifer Walton learns a devastating update of her father's illness diagnosis. The UK-raised artist was traveling America on her initial visit, playing alongside indie band Kero Kero Bonito, when abruptly sadness casts a shadow, coloring all with melancholy. Unsteady piano and soft orchestration underscore gothic reports emanating from the road: "Rural scenes and crumbling homes / Strip-mall, drug deal, panic attacks."

Walton's gentle singing come across in a deadpan manner, while the record's intensity arises from her keen penmanship—blending stories, traditional phrases, and blunt personal notes—along with surprising rich textures. Not many tracks recently showcase more potent storytelling style than "Shelly", which describes the death of a deer and descends toward a fuel-soaked reckoning, reminiscent of literary works lit with glimpses of distorted cello. Tense, quiet verses with resonating, plucked guitar move to expansive choruses, and her vocals electronically altered into a presence omniscient and sinister.

Audiences may previously know Walton from her work as a music creator, DJ, and member to bands such as Caroline. The album's musical twists draw on her diverse career. The first track "Sometimes" bursts in fanfare, like an ensemble caught unawares, while "Born Again Backwards" drastically ups the BPM with a punishing, stunning, repeating drum fill. Thick layers of audio, expertly mixed with a long-term collaborator, feel at once gnarly and ethereal, while Walton's morbid, enchanted thoughts culminate on standout "Lambs", a song that briefly becomes a swirling dance. "May your life never end in death," Walton pleads, exuding heart-aching gallows humor.