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In the song "Miss America", listeners are placed in a hotel room near JFK airfield, as the musician learns the devastating update of her father's illness discovery. This UK-raised artist was touring America on her initial visit, playing alongside group Kero Kero Bonito, when abruptly grief casts a shadow, tinging all with melancholy. Faltering piano and soft orchestration underscore dark reports from the tour van: "Rural scenes and crumbling homes / Shopping centers, illicit trades, anxious moments."

Walton's gentle singing come across in a flat style, yet the album's intensity arises from her keen writing—mixing fiction, folksy sayings, and blunt personal notes—along with unexpected rich textures. Not many songs recently possess stronger storytelling style than "Shelly", which describes the killing of a deer and descends into a fuel-soaked reckoning, evoking literary works lit with glimpses of distorted strings. Tense, quiet verses featuring echoing, strummed strings transition into grand refrains, with Walton's vocals electronically altered into something omniscient and sinister.

Listeners might already know Walton from her work as a music creator, disc jockey, and member in groups like Caroline. The album's musical twists reflect this diverse career. The first track "Sometimes" bursts in flourish, like an ensemble caught by surprise, whereas "Born Again Backwards" drastically ups the tempo via an intense, beautiful, repeating percussion. Dense layers of audio, expertly mixed by a longtime collaborator, seem at once gnarly and spiritual, and her dark, magical thoughts culminate on highlight "Lambs", a song that briefly transforms into a swirling jig. "May your life never end in death," Walton pleads, with heart-aching dark comedy.