Cold Beat has always been primarily a vehicle for Hannah Lew's songs, but on Chaos by Invitation, it's essentially a solo project. Lew wrote and recorded the bulk of the album on her own in her home studio, allowing her the freedom to take her music in any direction she wanted. She expands on the electronic flirtations of Into the Air, taking inspiration from Tubeway Army and Neu! and recruiting Trans Am's Phil Manley and Total Control's Mikey Young to help her flesh out her tracks. On songs such as the blippy "Black Licorice" and abrasive "Chainmaille," she sounds closer to the likes of Xeno & Oaklander than some of her previous work. She also makes room for some of her prettiest songs to date, whether it's the Baroque synth pop of "Ivory Tower," the sparkly new wave of "Strawberry Moon," or "62 Moons," an ode to unrequited love that sets its closing refrain of "fade to black" to a deceptively cheery synth hook. Indeed, Chaos by Invitation spans as many feelings as it does sounds. Lew examines vulnerability and protection, distance and intimacy, resulting in standouts like the frosty synth pop of "Don't Touch" and "In Motion," a rawly emotional song about the inability to hold on -- or let go -- that Beach House would be proud to call their own. Because of its wide range, Chaos by Invitation isn't quite as cohesive as Cold Beat's previous albums, but the possibilities it opens up for Lew's music make it an exciting and often affecting listen.