The intriguing mystery surrounding Jonna Lee’s transition from folk pop singer-songwriter to experimental electronic goddess propelled excitement and spurned the most original act name of 2012. Originally an unidentified artist, once the ambiguity of the singer’s identity was revealed piece by piece through enigmatic short films and abstract clues, alongside spooky avant garde and dark witch house synths; we were still treated to an electronically expansive and beautifully quirky debut in Kin. It was as creative as anything produced by Swedish compatriot Karin Dreijer Andersson and filled the void for Dreijer fans left between her musical absences with The Knife and Fever Ray.

 

The distinct change from Iamamiwhoami’s previous ingenuities is why her third album Blue is so difficult to swallow. The energetic sea of synths and high pitched ethereal vocals are still present but the unpredictable experimentation and her ability to surprise listeners has disappeared completely. The majority of the album conforms to a uniformed electro pop template that descends into the commercial electronic dance similarities of Ellie Goulding by overdoing her own euphoric capabilities and heavenly saccharine. The best cases of this comparison are on Vista, Chasing Kites and Tap Your Glass.

 

For an album called Blue, it’s ironic that it expresses only very happy and joyous moments. Yet Jonna Lee’s project was much more admirable and adventurous when she had a balance of the darker and brighter sides to her personality, including moments when she showed anger and madness on In Due Order from Kin and fragility on U-1 fromBounty. She appears to have lost her multi-dimensional identity and followed in the disappointing footsteps of Zola Jesus and Pati Yang, who started off as thought- provoking and courageous dream pop artists with bold ideas but now appear to lack distinguishable character.

 

Iamamiwhoami’s strongest creativity is confined to the opening minutes of tracks on Thin and Fountain, whilst thankfully the darker elements on the uneasy mid-tempo Shadowshow and the various mood changes on Hunting for Pearls give fans a slight taste of her previous dreamscapes and ambient stratospheres.

 

However, this is not enough to stop fans from feeling disappointly blue about her future prospects. MTH

 

Highlights: Hunting for Pearls and Shadowshow

Proposed quote: “Overly-saccharine and predictable with less depth.”