My Brightest Diamond

If Disney ever makes an indie princess film, Shara Worden should sing lead. With All Things Will Unwind, the opera-trained vocalist of My Brightest Diamond creates an album that is both alternative and cinematic. Each song invents a new set of dramatis personae, places them in enchanted woods and watches as they dance and sing. Like Disney’s best, she exudes confidence—never toning down her abnormally high-pitched voice, always comfortable in her eccentricity.

Worden plays with elements traditionally used in children’s music. Lead song “We Added It Up” evolves into a sprightly round reminiscent of a nursery rhyme. Animals are plentiful – peacocks, mice and whales – and harp-driven fables evoke comparisons to Joanna Newsom. Nevertheless, the album tackles adult themes. “High Low Middle” expresses frustration at upper class privilege (take notice, Occupy Wall Street). “Reaching Through to the Other Side,” with its talk of wombs, death and chasms between body and mind, delves into existentialist questions.

Generally restrained, Worden is at her best when she unleashes the full strength of her voice. During the dynamic surge of “Be Brave,” she channels the gusto and the timbre of Annie Clark (St. Vincent). “I Have Never Loved Someone,” an expression of a mother’s love of her child, shows Worden at her most magnetic. Elsewhere, Worden’s voice can be too sculpted. She hits every high note of “Escape Routes,” but sacrifices power for pitch. Whereas perfectionism works in the opera, here it sounds phantasmal.

The album feels intellectual—and that’s generally a good thing. Its arrangements sparkle, warble and whir, and at least one quirky instrument always tags along. The collaboration with yMusic, the acclaimed avant-garde New York City sextet, works to both group’s strengths. Denying its title, the album never unwinds, keeping steady control even at the extremes of Worden’s vocal range.