Chelsea Wolfe, 'Pain is Beauty' Review, Full Album Stream [LISTEN]: Singer-Songwriter's Latest Record is Dark, Dismal, Inspiring

"Pain is Beauty" is easily the best title for this collection of songs. Singer-songwriter Chelsea Wolfe manages to cross at least three genres on this record without leading listeners astray from the overall feel. Mixing electronica with folk undertones and metal overtones, Wolfe easily distinguishes herself and her songs in a crowded industry.

Wolfe kicks off her latest album with some of the hardest hitting tracks of the year. There's a certain attitude and aggression felt in the notes played to open "Feral Love," accompanied by an insistent kick drum. Wolfe continues her first assault with the next tracks, "We Hit a Wall" and "House of Metal."

As if using the first tracks as a warning for the rest of the songs, "Pain is Beauty" dives deeper into its overall message. Jumping to a brighter, upbeat electronica track, Wolfe brings us to the middle of the album. The two epic tracks "Sick" and "Kings" bridge the gap between Pain and Beauty. Showcasing time-signature changes and modulations, these songs showcase Wolfe's songwriting abilities to the fullest.

The next set of songs is a collection of slow burners, taking up the majority of the record's length. "The Waves Have Come" is the penultimate track, scaling mounting peaks, more than eight-and-a-half minutes of passionate instrumentation. This lush soundscape continues as Wolfe's hazy vocals croon.

"And don't forsake the way we were/ And don't tell me you never would/ And we don't need physical things/ To make us feel and make us dream."

Closing out the album is "Lone" - an ending perfectly suited for drawing the curtains on Wolfe's latest album. Approached as an acoustic folk ballad at first, "Lone" transforms as Wolfe drives her final message home: "Pain is Beauty." Such a collection of songs full of pain is clearly beautiful.