The Ride

Emerging as an independent act after a five-year absence, seizes the opportunity to open another chapter of her career with . Originally recorded for , wrangled control of the album as she left the label and, fittingly enough, is perched between the mainstream and the fringe. Much of the latter is due to the presence of , the producer best known for helming albums by , and the vivid, elastic soundscapes of 's records are certainly an inspiration for . may not be as daring as 's work, but that's relative. In its own way, the album is as much a redefinition for as was a decade earlier, positioning her as a mature pop artist with adult alternative undertones. Structurally, many of the songs here recall the moodier moments on 2012's and can even evoke ghosts of her ambitious sophomore set, , but she hasn't abandoned the deep bass and dance beats that propelled . Often, these electronic rhythms have been tamed and turned into texture that complements glassy washes of synthesizers and occasional percolating melodies. Even when the tracks are insistent -- which they often are -- they're not designed for dance; this is music for meditation, not activity. underscores how represents a new beginning by hinting at images of rebirth -- to top it off, the album closes with a ballad called "Phoenix" -- and while this record certainly supports these assertions, what's striking about it is that hedges her bets slightly by retaining conventional pop structure throughout the record. What gives its personality how these hooks bend through 's production and 's subdued delivery, shifting this mainstream pop just into a fringe where this singer/songwriter now seems happy to be. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine