Natural Causes

The darkly emotive full-length release by alternative artist Skylar Grey should come as little surprise to her fandom. The resonate melodies on "Natural Causes" are rhythmically interesting and engaging. Three tracks in, "Lemonade" is a lush and sexy serenade. The song is expertly produced, and Skylar Grey reels the listener in with her vocals. No surprise that the next track on the setlist is the more relentless "Kill for You," featuring guest vocalist Eminem.

This is Skylar Grey's third album, and the second since adapting to the new stage name. The artist formerly known as "Holly Brook" has come a long way and carved a niche for herself on the pop music spectrum. Elaborating on her musical collaborations with Eminem, Skylar Grey re-teamed with the notorious rapper who also produced the album's "Come Up for Air," an uncharacteristically moody song that benefits from Grey's vocal resonance.

Grey doesn't pull any punches with this setlist, and has delivered a collection of tracks that prove she's a musical force to be reckoned with. "Straight Shooter" is a forceful romp that puts the artist front and center, while still giving her audience irresistible access to her personality. It's a muscly-dancey-lyrically infectious hit!

The acoustic sounding tracks are by far the more juicier tracks on the album, and they are well placed astride the album's final act, which is very hypnotic. "Moving Mountains" and "We Used to Be Bad" are both stripped down in their production, but still benefit from putting Skylar Grey in the spotlight. The harmonies on the final track, "Closer," are perfect and help to solidify the overall aural experience.

Skylar Grey - "Natural Causes"
available now for digital download
$7.99
Interscope Records