The solo female musical act has become too predictable. There are few women in the music world who divert from poppy beats and feel-good lyrics à la Lady Gaga, Beyoncé or Katy Perry. Luckily, there are a few exceptions. Enter Alison Sudol or, as you may know her, A Fine Frenzy, who has risen to prominence by way of her piano-driven contemporary pop and beautiful voice. Her latest album, _Pines_, is meant to be far more than a typical album — it’s accompanied by a book and an animated short film. Unfortunately, the musical part of the experience doesn’t hold up. Though much of the album feels like the beautiful soundtrack to a film, it doesn’t quite hold its own as a musical work. Many of the tracks feel empty and fail to capture the listener’s attention. And though the music is all very ambient and creative, there’s not nearly enough of Sudol’s incredible voice to drive home the potential power in the melodies. There are a few redeeming tracks (“Pinesong,” “Now Is the Start”), but for the most part, _Pines_ is overly long and too hollow to stand on its own.