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In this song "Miss America", audiences are placed in a lodging near JFK airfield, as the musician receives the devastating update that her dad has illness diagnosis. The Sunderland-born artist was traveling America for the first time, playing with group Kero Kero Bonito, and suddenly grief takes over, coloring all in grey. Unsteady piano and soft strings underscore dark reports emanating from the tour van: "Rural scenes and crumbling homes / Shopping centers, illicit trades, anxious moments."

Her gentle singing come across in a flat style, yet this record's tension stems from her sharp writing—mixing fiction, traditional phrases, and direct personal notes—along with unexpected rich textures. Not many songs this year showcase more potent novelistic style compared to "Shelly", which depicts the killing of a deer and descends toward a fuel-soaked confrontation, reminiscent of written works illuminated by glimpses of distorted cello. Anxious, quiet verses with echoing, plucked strings transition to grand refrains, and Walton's voice electronically altered into something omniscient and sinister.

Listeners might previously be familiar with Walton from her work as an electronic producer, DJ, and member in groups like Caroline. The album's musical twists reflect this varied career. The opener "Sometimes" bursts with fanfare, as if a string band caught unawares, while "Born Again Backwards" drastically increases the tempo with an intense, beautiful, looping drum fill. Thick walls of sound, skillfully produced with a long-term collaborator, seem at once rough and ethereal, and her dark, magical thinking culminate on standout "Lambs", which momentarily becomes a swirling dance. "I hope your existence doesn't conclude with dying," she pleads, with heart-aching gallows humor.