Taiga

Zola Jesus is trying to make a transformation happen on her fifth album. Unlike any of the Russian-American electro-goth star's past work, it's actually possible to imagine hearing the instant earworm ''Dangerous Days'' on the radio – at least if it were remixed down to the right length. Though the title track echoes with the dark vibes that have been her trademark, other highlights, like ''Go (Blank Sea),'' give her melodrama a tighter pop structure. But too much of the LP sounds like someone cranked up the brightness setting on her early work, destroying what made her unique in the process. If her newly accessible style attracts new fans, it's just as likely to send the old ones running for the door.