Tom Krell, a.k.a. How To Dress Well, has gained considerable acclaim for his ethereal, gauzy brand of R&B. On his new Just Once EP, he takes a new tack; it features orchestral versions of Love Remains's “Suicide Dream 1 & 2” and “Decisions”, as well as a new song, the lushly fragile “Suicide Dream 3.” The EP was conceived as a response to the death of Krell's closest friend Ryan Hitchon, who suddenly passed away before Love Remains was released. The result should be both fascinating and heartbreaking, as Krell revisits his previous responses to the grief (for instance, Krell adds a verse about Ryan to “Suicide Dream 1”) in an attempt to negotiate the complexities of memorializing and mourning.
Yours Truly has provided a video debut of “Suicide Dreams 3” in which Krell discusses the emotional and creative process through which this EP came into being:
The title refers to a Rainer Maria Rilke poem but also “denotes the singularity of the release”—this orchestral approach to HTDW's sound will not be repeated; the release is also limited to 1000 copies on 10″ vinyl. In addtion, it's for a good cause: $1 from every 10” sold will be donated to Mind Freedom International to benefit those with metal health issues. Just Once is due out July 12 on Yours Truly's Love Letters Ink label. Pre-order here.
