Total Loss Weird World****

R’n’b has always dealt with heartbreak and ennui, though at times you wouldn’t think in the face of so much buffed-and- polished, glitzed-to-the-max product. On his second album, though, Berlin-based New Yorker Tom Krell leaves you in no doubt about how this sound can mirror sadness as he hones in poignant tones and themes.

An album dealing with issues of loss, grief and depression, Total Loss has an aching intimacy that often hurts to embrace, replicating Krell's painful, traumatic emotions. Musically it's beautifully minimalist, slow- motion and haunting. But it's the lyrics that will steal your heart away, starting with Set It Right, listing the people, both deceased and now absent from his life. A tender, heartbreaking record. howtodresswell.com

Download tracks:When I Was in Trouble, Set It Right, Cold Nites