Shara Worden is one of the great indie multi-instrumentalist in recent memory: a less uneven complement to the frantic Amanda Palmer who also takes to sound layering moreso than Regina Spektor while being less experimental than Björk. She brings more fluttery yet sweeter chamber-esque harmonies in tow for her third studio album, All Things Will Unwind. Certainly another gem in her crown, the album does disappoint slightly in its repeated indulgence in cheerful whimsy.

The first track, “We Added It Up”, makes a great strolling tune with its simple classic guitar and aviary flutes. And does “In the Beginning.” And so does “There’s a Rat”… For a second, “Reaching Through To The Other Side” sounds like Shana’s going to delve into the challenging feeling of confusion, but, despite a conveyance of skepticism with a few lines, the tune sticks to the saccharine – if you weren’t paying attention to the words, you’d probably twirl around with an oblivious grin. MBD definitely overplays the sweet musical sentiment here, which is unexpected given past moody accomplishments like “Freak Out” and “We Were Sparkling.”

Fortunately, there are departures. “Be Brave” is ominous first, then uplifting and then bombastic – the best track by far. “She Does Not Brave the War” is a modest, mostly acoustic reprieve and “High Low Middle” asks for a delightful jitterbugging. “Everything is in Line” is a powerful duo effort that drips with curiously disparate sounds (though we’re not talking Fol Chen levels here). The terminal track, “I Have Never Loved Someone”, tries to be a lullaby to Shana’s newborn but it really just annoys with its squeaking rocking-chair sample.

Overall, it’s a quality album, though I don’t think the overtly chipper sound is the greatest fit for future productions. Could she pull off a chilling “Peter and The Wolf” rendition?

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