R&B might be the new "thing" among indie kids these days. With the emergence of bands like The Weekend, James Blake, and even Bon Iver, it seems the vocal aspect of music has become just as important as the instrumentation. So is the case with brooklynite Tom Krell, whose ghostly bedroom R&B project How to Dress Well has taking over car stereos and record players a like over the past year. His 2010 album Love Remains was a unique & haunting take on a genre that is as much about atmosphere as it is about lyrics and song structure. And while Love Remains had that low budget lo-fi static sound punk bands like Wavves and Times New Viking have parlayed into successful careers, Krell's latest offering, the Just Once EP proves that when given an actual studio & string quartet to work with, the payout is even bigger.
Just Once starts off with a beautiful rendition of "Suicide Dream 1", the final track from his 2010 LP. This orchestral version of the song transforms the original mood of the number from from creepy chamber soul into beautiful ethereal blues that is as expansive and untamed as wilderness. In a lot of ways, the layered falsetto voice and swirling strings give the song a vibe that's reminiscent of Jonsi's Go Do album from a couple years ago. The album continues this trend with another reworked & heartbreaking version of "Suicide Dream 2", and similar sounding "Suicide Dream 3", the lone new song from this 4 song EP.
The best song on this small but sweet taste of semi new material is probably also the best song from last years Love Remains, the stand out number "Decisions" (which rated as our 90th favorite song of 2010) reworked and as clear as a mountain spring. The song reaches even higher this time around with a thundering bass drum that truly echos beyond the bedroom and into the clouds.
For everything the Just Once EP lacks in size, it makes up in replay value. It's the type of album that almost always get played twice, and never feels old the second time around. This new sophisticated element of How To Dress Well will have you yearning for more and and eagerly anticipating the next full-length pierce of work from Krell. Hopefully we won't have to wait that long.
How to Dress Well - Suicide Dream 1 (Orchestral Version) by Slow Vertigo
0 comments
Post a Comment