While
Rainbow Kitten Surprise
have always been ones to defy any strict notion of genre, never before have they been so free-flowing and far-reaching in this regard than on the sprawling, 22-song double album
Love Hate Music Box
. It finds them not only injecting more club- and hip-hop-minded fare into their sonic palette but blending it with prior indie pop, quasi-rap, and soul tendencies. The "kitchen sink" simile may actually be an understatement as they move through tracks including the prologue-like opener "Peter Pan" ("We're all lost boys"), clubby melodic rap "Lucky," driving '80s dance-rocker "Hot Pink Ice Cube," and the disco-fied "Best Man." Seemingly therapeutic in nature as it touches on personal subject matter like identity, relationships, escape, and survival with an energized, forward-looking tone, the album also includes a duet with
Kacey Musgraves
(the candid, acoustic-minded "Overtime"). Throughout, charismatic leader
Ela Melo
retains her command of it all. The project's fourth album,
, marked their Billboard 200 debut. ~ Marcy Donelson