London’s self-proclaimed psychedelic sludge pop duo Let’s Eat Grandma has ridden a well-earned wave of success created by 2016 debut I, Gemini. Multi-instrumentalists Rosa Walton and Jenny Hollingworth, 17 then, revelled in their idiosyncratic synergy, throwing a robust array of sounds and feels into an admirable, albeit messy musical soup. After two years of personal growth, the duo organizes its eclectic compositions into the gorgeously orchestrated avant-pop manifesto I’m All Ears.

Let’s Eat Grandma pools its respective development into a polarized, yet cohesive listen. “Hot Pink” may juggle trap-influenced neo-soul and destructive industrial, but its unpredictability leads to a celebration of femininity via their powerful, playful voices. I’m All Ears embodies its title by leaving obscurity behind in favor of an approachable experience of rapturous songwriting and unabashed messages.

“It’s Not Just Me” runs with the most palatable aspects of their sound, giving a bit of bounce to silky synth drones with aggressive 16th-note groove and displaced backbeat. Let’s Eat Grandma maintains an immersive and multifaceted atmosphere even in more accessible contexts, funneling its fascination with SoundCloud bubblegum pop into the surrealist beauty of Frank Ocean and Bjork.

In fact, Frank Ocean producer David Wrench deepens the aura of I’m All Ears out of the gate with retro synth pulse inflated to cinematic proportions by overdriven bass blasts and distorted cello lines in the instrumental opener, “Whitewater.” Imaginative sound design plays an important role throughout the record, whether it’s the staccato strings layered onto a 38-second neo-classical ringtone for the interlude “Missed Call (1),” or ca soundscape created from a sample of a cat purring in “The Cat’s Pyjamas.” Wrench doesn’t have a writing credit on this album, so the flow of Walton and Hollingworth’s unmistakable songwriting approach is entirely their own.

The two meticulously craft their song structures. That’s exemplified by the walls of silky synth and regal piano ion “Falling Into Me” turning into a harmonious anthem due to groovy tom drum and hi-hat syncopation. Everything from cowbell to wobbly bass lines enter the mix, as does the duo’s commanding vocal melodies, which encourage women to take ownership of their romantic pursuits.

The addition of vibraphone to the keyboard arpeggiations and sugarcoated vocal melodies of “I Will Be Waiting” add up to a forward-thinking response to the radio-friendly four-on-the-floor of artists like Chvrches. While leaving room for experimentation and free expression, I’m All Ears avoids jarring song-to-song transitions and features more personal lyrical concepts.

The overtly psych-rock “Snakes & Ladders” builds its hypnotic 6/8 groove to a voluminous wall of guitar noise and gothic keyboards. Its synthetic, yet earthy percussion commingles with ascending chord progressions and melodic bass lines. Stream-of-consciousness vocals compare meaningless consumerism to “trying to run through mud” in the Everglades, begging for “something real, something evergreen, something un-mundane.”

These topical dialogues contrast with the vulnerable confessional tale of mental health struggles on the stripped-down piano ballad “Ava.” Rounded out by an underlying recording of rain falling on a windowsill, the duo weaves a powerful narrative of witnessing a loved one’s internal suffering and trying to reach out: “Why’d you take it final when you’re starting to spiral/ If you slip or stall/ I’ll be holding your hands.”

Walton and Hollingworth’s heartbreaking performance takes their vocal chops and dynamism to incredible heights with a minimal arrangement. Every instrumental embellishment these two pull out of their bag of tricks maintains similar visceral qualities, sending I’m All Ears’ emotional impact into the ionosphere.

The demure finger-picked guitar pulse of “Cool & Collected” gradually gives way to one that is shoe-gazey and distorted. Inventive use of delay and moving piano lines wash through the sonic space as the rhythm section guides the song to its arrival point. Walton’s groovy drum solo bridges the gap between catchy and outlandish tendencies, tethering every development to the song’s introductory progression. Let’s Eat Grandma remain sonically elusive, yet undeniably infectious.

“‘Cause the beatings just get harder and we’ll never grow them out/ ‘Cause the hand that does the dealings is the one that feeds your mouth,” Walton and Hollingworth sing on “Donnie Darko.” Their closing remarks leave listeners to ponder the tragic necessity of acknowledging suffering and abuse in order to cope with it. Its basis around a single piano chord milks minimalist indietronics and exhilarating intelligent dance music for every ounce of emotion, encapsulating the resonant passion and compositional expertise at play on I’m All Ears.

Follow editor Max Heilman at Twitter.com/madmaxx1995.