Wow, where did this gem come from? My Brightest Diamond's second album does more than avoid the sophomore slump, it shines as a modern masterpiece in dramatic orchestral pop. If the fantasy drive behind Bat for Lashes was too much for you, then this is the perfect alternative in female vocal based cinematics. The album begins with a fragile guitar line spiderwebbing gently across a chilly soundscape. Songstress Shara Worden's siren call boldly rises over zooming guitars and colossal cymbal crashes. By the time the sweeping harmonies of 'Ice ...

While they've already collaborated quite nicely on the way-off Broadway compositions of Sufjan Stevens, MDB's Shara Worden and drummer James McAllister really hit it off here. Shedding several layers off the much more orchestral original, McAllister leaves behind a candy coating of keyboards, prominent percussion patterns and a cautious acoustic guitar. Available only on iTunes as part of an exclusive EP, it's a promising preview of My Brightest Diamond's forthcoming full-length of reinterpretations and remixes.

Continuing the relatively new tradition of solo musicians naming themselves as bands ' thanks for the confusion, Mangum ' Shara Worden, aka My Brightest Diamond, delivers one of the best debuts of the year with an operatic voice that mixes lo-fi rock with classical elements. I guess it's mildly interesting to mention she toured and recorded with Sufjan Stevens, but girl can sing on her own and keep the album diverse enough to make nearly every song an interesting listen. With upper register-vocals and dramatic buildups, songs like 'Gone ...