Sky Ferreira may never top the absolute brilliance of “Sex Rules” and “99 Tears” from last year’s As If EP. But with that pop-forward release failing to connect with a larger audience and now disappeared from digital services, here comes Ghost, which takes a multi-faceted approach to (re)introducing the 20-year-old singer.

The twin twang of “Sad Dream” (co-written and produced by Fiona Apple guitarist Blake Mills) and “Ghost” (co-written and produced by Jon Brion) are Sheryl Crow in her sulky, eponymous (and best) period. “Red Lips,” the set’s first single released in July, wraps itself around the jagged-edged, alt-rock sounds of the same mid-’90s stretch. Garbage’s Shirley Manson, who lived through it, co-wrote “Red Lips” with producer Greg Kurstin and graciously lends her young charge some tough-chick cred. Ferreira delivers this dressing-down blast with aplomb.

Though the EP offers the singer-songwriter freedom to explore some new sonic territories, Ghost isn’t Ferreira’s ‘Etch-A-Sketch Moment’ either, some grand disavowal of her pop past. And thank Jeebus, because the genre suits her so well. Indeed, Ghost really comes alive on the the remaining two tracks, “Lost In My Bedroom,” a slumber party romp atop a buzzing electro bed, and “Everything Is Embarrassing,” the dreamy second single co-written and produced by Dev Hynes (Blood Orange) and Ariel Rechtshaid.

Hynes is deservedly getting a lot of buzz recently (see Solange’s “Losing You”), but since Rechtshaid also co-wrote and produced “Lost In My Bedroom,” I think he’s the real star in this new piece of Sky.

Purchase Sky Ferreira – Ghost EP via iTunes, Amazon MP3.