Following the elegant and earnest Some Things Just Take Time by three years, Chaos Wonderland sees Carwyn Ellis' Colorama project return some of the psychedelic impulses it's better known for, though it remains a singer/songwriter album at heart. It was recorded with Shawn Lee (Ping Pong Orchestra, the Electric Peanut Butter Company) at his North London studio during Ellis' breaks from touring as the Pretenders' keyboardist. With the exception of some saxophone, trumpet, percussion, and extra vocals on limited tracks, Ellis and Lee are responsible for all of the performances on the album. Before it hits a certain wistful, romantic stride, Chaos Wonderland passes through tracks like the druggy prelude "And" ("There's so much I've got to tell you…") and "Black Hole," which moves the giddy, organ-enhanced psychedelia into a smoky, carpeted back room. The bulk of the tracks here are more refined, consisting of bittersweet love songs like "Crosville," which finds a couple stuck in the rain while deciding whether or how to move their relationship forward. Elsewhere, the spare, fingerpicked "Conchita" employs soft-spoken Latin rhythms to affectionate ends, and "Reconciliation" leans into classic, acoustic soul balladry. Playful entries such as "Damn Tune" and "Me & She" help keep the mood light, as do teasing lyrics on even the somberest songs. A duet with prior collaborator Lay Low (Lovísa Sigrúnardóttir), "Me & She" fashions its sweetly catchy pop out of a merger of carnival-organ funk and Tin Pan Alley melodicism. Taken together, Chaos Wonderland is another delightful, well-crafted outing from Colorama and a songwriter who shows no signs of going on autopilot.