Dude knows a lot more than just How to Dress Well

Tom Krell is a straight genius. I haven't loved someone's music this much in a long, long time. As How to Dress Well he pretty much pioneered the new/indie R&B movement. But his style is so unique, personal and idiosyncratic that his music will last long after the craze. His voice is almost angelic and his vocal lines are complex, full of nuance and detail. Usually they are cloaked in a ghostly haze and weave in and out of static-laden soundscapes that add layers of  beauty. But on the 12th he's releasing the Just Once EP which briefly abandons the lo-fi sonics for gorgeous clean production and utilizes orchestral rather than electronic instrumentation. This is a stunning EP and further displays Krell's talent and voice. He reworks three songs from his instant classic Love Remains: "Suicide Dream 1" (see the amazing video here), "Suicide Dream 2" (mp3) and "Decisions" (mp3) and adds the all new "Suicide Dream 3". The originals are some of my very favorites but I am loving the orchestral versions just as much. They expand the songs in different directions. On both a sonic and a spiritual level Krell's vocals are SO brave and exposed. "Suicide Dream 3" is a memorial to a friend he lost late last year and you can hear the mourning and acceptance in his falsetto. I would kill to be able to express my humanity with the courage and beauty that he does in these songs. Listen to the new track AND watch the video for "Decisions" and hear the man talk about his work below, and BUY THE ALBUM!. The leaked versions do not come anywhere close to the pure luminosity of the real productions.

Yourstru.ly Presents: How To Dress Well "Decisions" from Yours Truly on Vimeo.

Here are a couple of recent live performances from Brussels to check out...if, like me, you just can't get enough. Truly lovely.



Here he mixes R. Kelly's "I Wish" (a song I totally missed before but now is my jam...thanks HTDW) with his "Ready for the World"(mp3). And it's awesome.