It’s hard to picture the coquettish Kelli Ali that made Rocking Horse ever being involved with a group as crudely named as Sneaker Pimps. But it happened. The singer who brought you songs like Sugar has turned over a new leaf on this, her third album for label One Little Indian, and it certainly is a strange one. Opener Dancing Bears lilts along like the beginning of some twee children’s variety hour, but it has a pop song’s heart and doesn’t disappoint.

Ali doesn’t do radio-friendly. This is an album teeming with obscure ideas, and although some are more effective than others, they all succeed admirably in making her sound utterly out of her time. Songs like The Savages sound like some ethereal troubadour trapped in time, but for every bizarre turn there’s two deft moments of sublime arrangement brilliance.

Like Jose Gonzales, Kelli Ali orchestrates her way to grandiose crescendos with hypnotically sublime repetition. Everything is deceptively, strategically layered with a near-impossible premeditation, letting the songs engulf and surprise you the same time. The childlike simplicity of her voice is nestled cosily amongst it all, resulting in an overwhelming and unsettling sense of pure strangeness.

The power of the first six tracks is undeniable, particularly the delicate pop gem Heaven’s Door. Seeing understated sentiments glide downstream on a banjo at the chorus, the track is one of the best on offer. But nothing approaches the title track. Its return to traditional sliding guitar and whispered vocals would be relief if not for darkly portentous lyrics. It’s thrilling, complex and as claustrophobic as any song in recent memory.

Overall, the album is an exceptionally ornate pop record destined for a cult following. While it isn’t entirely arresting on first listen, the tracks have a timeless quality that few modern bands can capture. A slight lack of momentum in the second half aside, this album is its own worst enemy. Despite all the quality on offer here, it’s mixed so closely with the stranger cuts that there’s no choice but enjoying it all. As gorgeous as the pop tracks are, the pseudo-feudal folkie weirdness here will alienate and confuse as many as it entrances.

Rocking Horse is out now on One Little Indian through Creative Vibes.