Following 2015's ambitious and dark-toned concept album,
The Great Cybernetic Depression
, New Zealand indie pop musician
Princess Chelsea
(aka
Chelsea Nikkel
) turned to recording cover songs as a sort of palette cleanser for her creative process. These sessions, which resulted in the 2016 covers LP
Aftertouch
also served as a means of testing out new sounds and arrangement methods to be applied to future projects. In that respect, it helped set the cinematic tone for her next original album, 2018's
The Loneliest Girl
, a synth-rich collection that is at times dazzling in its production and tonal scope. As an artist,
Chelsea
is somewhat of an anomaly: a deeply talented producer, composer, and multi-instrumentalist with a theatrical flair and tendency toward elaborate Baroque pop orchestration. Her blend of wry humor, wistful delicacy, and twee-pop presentation would come across as overly precious or cloying in the wrong hands, but, as with her previous outings, she once again manages to strike the right balance of bright and dark and land the trick. From its slightly ominous fantasy-synth intro "The Deer with the Golden Lights" and the dreamy opening volley "Good Enough" to the complex skittering string pop of the unexpected tradesmen ode "Respect the Labourers,"
hits upon a multitude of
's strengths. Beguiling lead single "I Love My Boyfriend" adorns a dirgey,
Pixies
-style mood rocker with celestial harps and bells to great effect while the magnetic "It's Nothing" manages to fuse a romantic old-fashioned waltz with the feel of a glittering space symphony. More than anything, it's
's knack for sweet, unusual melodies that lends her music distinction and with just the right amount of pluck, she pulls off another win on
. ~ Timothy Monger