How to Dress Well – Total Loss As of the last couple of years, a new genre of music has been slowly emerging called “PBR&B,” or simply “indie R&B.” Artists like The Weeknd, Frank Ocean, Janelle Monae, and Miguel among others, are part of this new subgenre. I enjoy these artists on varying levels, but as a whole, I love the genre. One artist I came across while searching for more was How to Dress Well, which is the brainchild of artist/singer Tom Krell. While starting the project in 2009, and churning out free EPs, his first album came out in 2010 entitled Love Remains. I decided to start off with 2012’s Total Loss, since it came out the same year as Frank Ocean’s Channel Orange, which is another PBR&B album that’s critically acclaimed, and for good reason. I didn’t quite know what to expect, but his brand of indie R&B really caught me by surprise, because essentially, it’s more indie and less R&B. Krell’s voice reminds me of Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon, because it’s so high pitched. And I will admit, one problem I have with this album is his voice. It barely changes pitch. No, it’s not awful, and he can definitely sing, but his voice is rather monotone in most songs. The songs with a much higher tempo, such as “Cold Nites,” and “& It Was U,” are the ones where Krell’s voice does change, mainly due to the very catchy hooks the songs have. Going back to Bon Iver, I did have the same problem with their last record, actually; I felt the same way about that record, and it kind of bugged me after repeated listens. Total Loss is the same way, so while Krell can sing, his voice doesn’t have too many pitch shifts throughout the album. What makes up for it is the overall instrumentation; second track, and first single, “Cold Nites” has a piano riff running throughout it alongside a drum loop, and coupled with Krell’s vocals, it’s a really beautiful song. There aren’t many guitars, or traditional instruments, other than a piano, but the variety in the instrumentation is what helps it. “Cold Nites” has a piano riff running throughout it, fifth track “& It Was U” has a drum loop as the backbone of the track, sixth track “World I Need You, Won’t Be Without You (Proem)” is an instrumental track that features some violins and orchestral instrumentation. I said that Krell’s voice doesn’t quite change pitch throughout the record, but his lyrics are another thing that makes up for it. The theme of the album is exactly what the title says, total loss, and the theme really shows up in the form of ninth track “Talking to You.” This is a very depressing and sad track, with the lyrics about losing a loved one, and the very somber and haunting instrumentation in the form of violins make the track that much more effective. Another song that really hits me is fourth track “Running Back,” which talks about a relationship with a woman where he hates being without her, but she makes him miserable, so he can’t win. It’s a song that I can relate to quite well, so it really hits home. The lyrics do hold up very well, but there aren’t too many hooks prevalent. The main songs with hooks and distinct melodies are ones I’ve mentioned, “Cold Nites” and “& It Was U.” These are my two favorite songs from the record, actually. As I’ve mentioned, Krell’s voice is one flaw of the album, although his voice does have range, it just sounds the same in every song. He uses the same vocal delivery in every track, and it just brings the record down slightly. The fact that there aren’t too many hooks and melodies don’t help, either; barely any songs can get stuck in your head, which is what R&B is supposed to do. Total Loss is a very pleasant sounding album, but its biggest flaw is that it’s not very memorable. A majority of it blends together. There are some songs that do stand out, but most are quite slow. The record is only 46 minutes (42 without the bonus track, an A Capella version of “Set It Right”), but it feels much longer. It also feels like one long song, and usually, this isn’t a problem in some cases. This record is different, because it doesn’t drag on in the sense that it is too long, but it’s kind of boring and monotonous. While there are some things I don’t like, what makes this record so interesting and awesome is the sound overall– it’s got an indie flair, but is still rooted in R&B. Yes, the record can get monotonous, and there aren’t really any hooks, but the instrumentation and the “sound” of the record is what keeps it afloat. It’s not a very memorable record, but it’s certainly worth a few listens, especially to see how unique it is. Overall rating: 8/10 -Bradley
Posted on: Sun, 29 Sep 2013 22:49:21 +0000
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