King Princess released her third album “Girl Violence” last Friday and it is an angsty, angry record, touching on themes of heartbreak and dysfunctional relationships. Starting in October, she will embark on the Girl Violence tour across the United States and Europe. While some possible appeal lies in seeing these energetic songs performed live with the benefit of venue acoustics, they leave much to be desired when listening at home with headphones.

The album has a few bright spots, but it’s primarily a prolonged complaint about what went wrong in failed relationships. As reflected in her previous work, Princess’ lower register is powerful and emotional, but she chose to put on a raspy, softer tone for the majority of the songs. This is unfortunate because it distracted from the lyrics, placing too much focus on her will to sing with such an effect.

The melodies are meandering, rarely resolving satisfactorily, and the lyrics are highly repetitive and simple. The rhyme scheme is also quite uncomplicated, which does not match the tone of the album as it seeks to address complicated romantic feelings. In the fourth track, “I Feel Pretty,” she rhymes “me” with “me” three times. But this is somewhat fitting because the album does feel a bit self-indulgent and more like an attempt at rock by an artist who leans more toward pop.

Conversely, while at times being drowned out by the background noise, the lyrics of “I Feel Pretty” are saved by the strong presence of the bass and the drums. The rhythm section works in tandem to create a moody and emotional atmosphere. The distant backing vocals also bring a certain depth to the song, which makes it feel quite immersive.

“Cry Cry Cry” is one of the best songs on the album. Unlike the majority of the other songs that begin with a bassline, the track’s guitar leads us into the song. It has the catchiest melody, and the short and repetitive lyrics work here, as they allow the instrumentation to really shine.

Despite the melancholic title, it is one of the most upbeat songs on the album and feels the lightest. One of the more danceable songs on the album, the lyrics reveal that Princess is not the one who is crying, but making others cry. It is less angry and more confident.

“Covers” is another highlight on the album. The best songs are those in which Princess sings with a less affected style, and where the drums, guitar and bass are not in a riff-off. The simplicity makes them more digestible and highlights some of the most interesting lyrics on the album as she sings, “And at the most, you’ll hear scratching at your post / And you’ll wonder if it’s me who’s haunting you.”

Nevertheless, there are some real misses on the album as well. The lyrics and instrumental of “Get Your Heart Broken” feel like they were written completely separately. They compete with rather than complement each other, and in “Say What You Will” with Joe Talbot, the use of autotune and the melodies do not progress the narrative of the song, but loop endlessly and add nothing to the song.

Finally, in “RIP KP” towards the end of the album, King Princess actually starts telling stories rather than making brief statements. She goes back to her roots, singing lower and with much more power, working with instead of against the instruments.

There is a lot of layering that creates a welcome complexity. The chorus is rhythmic and interesting which includes a high-pitched hook played on the keyboard, contrasting the deeper, darker tone of the other songs.

One of the last tracks, “Slow Down and Shut Up,” represents the overall feeling of the album: It starts strong but loses steam quickly.

The groovy, upbeat bassline and drums, along with the lack of rasp in her voice, offer hope that the album would end on a high note, but as soon as the chorus begins, it’s all too much. The drum sounds like it is trying to leave the rest of the song behind, and it is difficult to understand what is happening as everyone plays over each other.

“Girl Violence” is exactly what the title suggests, a rocking lament of the pain inflicted by ex-girlfriends’ past. Though it has moments of cathartic emotional release, the album as a whole feels too repetitive and lacks evolution in the form of a musical or narrative arc.