8/10

Ever since she emerged almost a decade ago, Empress Of's Lorely Rodriguez has been seen as one of the more boundary-pushing artists on the alt-pop scene. Regularly moving several years ahead of her contemporaries on the commercial arena, she has spent the last few years creating this wonderfully absorbing sound that is always searching for the next captivating avenue in which to explore. And after the 2022 EP 'Save Me' gave us an insight into her next phase, she now returns with her fourth studio album 'For Your Consideration', a record that explores a multitude of exciting concepts once again.

With guest appearances from the likes of MUNA and Rina Sawayama on this new outing, 'For Your Consideration' already has that mainstream credibility Empress Of has skirted for so long. Adopting a bi-lingual aesthetic for this new release, which plays with the empty glitz and glamour of the Hollywood scene, this new collection finds her in her most explorative guise yet. Regularly finding and developing a rich and emotive production for each of the tracks, she still manages to invent something fascinating to add to her ever-evolving catalogue.

While her productivity has been a little slower than usual in recent years, Empress Of has clearly been deeply buried in this new material for quite some time. Harnessing a broad and diverse direction to pursue here, 'For Your Consideration' is one of her most exciting releases to date.