How to Dress Well: What Is This Heart?

Tom Krell knows how to do vulnerability. His third album as How to Dress Well finds him once again digging into the melancholy and minimalism amid the cracks between his r'n'b, electronica, pop and ambient creations. Krell knows the measurements and reference points for lovelorn ballads, between his highly effective falsetto and the chilly, sparse, neatly pared-back synths and bass. However, in an era when many other acts are producing similarly coloured fare, Krell isn't quite as bold or raw with his emotions as he was on earlier recordings. Instead, it's all about confusion and an unwillingness to engage on tracks such as Face Again, leaving listeners wondering if it's worth preserving with the ennui, heartbreak and miserablism. You have to laud Krell's musical experimentation, but the general air of glacial bleakness seems rather forced at this stage. whatisthisheart.com Download: Face Again