In an age where playlists and singles are often preferred more than albums, Ciscandra Nostalghia (a native of both California and Tehran) takes the time to craft a full-length album that demands to be heard from start to finish. The goth-style rock of her band Nostalghia could draw comparisons to Tori Amos and Kate Bush on the gentler piano-based tunes, while the industrial/indie rock suggests a spiritual connection to the epic concept rock of Marilyn Manson and Swans. The beauty and dramatic power climaxes on “Cool for Chaos,” “Meek," and “The End,” where cofounder Roy Gnan assists with the sense of apocalypse. Ciscandra brings a definite feminine touch, a velvet glove to obscure the fists of steel. The dark synths of “Stockholm Syndrome,” when matched with her haunted vocals, create a sense of being overwhelmed by pure artistic impulse. The band deliberately strips the sound down to that of a jack-in-a-box toy for “You + I” before the orchestration takes over. “Sunshiny Milk” turns love into a menacing case of OCD. This isn’t music meant for casual listening; it's for the opportunity to be taken someplace new.