For the past decade, Rupa Marya and her deft backing band, The April Fishes, have specialized in a cultural-musical whiplash, weaving together elements of cool jazz, cumbia, chanson, reggae and politically charged punk—it’s a jaw-dropping potpourri, though the genre-hopping has often overshadowed the songwriting. But with their fifth album, OVAL, they arrive at a more cohesive blend—favoring ethereal orchestral balladry that showcases the expressive contours of Rupa’s voice, which alternates between French, English and Hindi. The LP opens with “C’est pas d’l’amour,” a waltz so intimate that you can feel the string scrapes and nose breathing. And that’s the general mood throughout: languid and sweet, with The April Fishes supporting Rupa’s romantic confessions with accordions (“Maintenant”), squawking saxophones (“Woh Kagaz Ki Kashti”) and sawing violins (“Wishful Thinking”). Unlike the band’s previous albums, OVAL never flirts with groove and rarely alters the dynamic range: The biggest momentum surge is the jazzy chamber-rock climax of “Mal de Mer.” Still, Rupa’s sharpest songs reward patient listening. “If you hold me like a tree holds a bird, I’ll be,” she croons on “The Request.” It’s a perfect summary of OVAL’s alluring embrace.