“I don’t have the power to guarantee that the world will ever be at peace. I don’t really have the power to guarantee that the people in my life won’t suffer pain. I don’t have the power to not be aging and eventually die, search ” said the voice over the speakerphone. A slight chill ran down my spine, possibly exacerbated by the cold office I had tucked myself away in for the interview, but mostly from Tom Krell’s unvarnished answer to the question I had posed. I’d just asked the singer and creative force behind How To Dress Well about his song, “A Power,” and what that power was when he starts off the tune saying that he doesn’t have it.
That same shiver was present to kick off his set at Brighton Music Hall on Tuesday. While steadily pounding his chest along to the beat, Krell spilled his lyrics into two microphones; one was for his regular vocals while the other one was used for the double-tracking vocal effects present throughout his work. It was refreshing to see him break free of relying on a backing track to convey the sound that his recorded work does, especially after the opening set which had Nite Jewel alone on stage singing over recorded beats and only touching the synth on stage three times. There are some artists that translate well live. How To Dress Well absolutely falls into this category, as its sound benefits extremely well from a full-band lineup. “A Power” was, for lack of a better word, powerful. The wiry Krell, aided by Destroyer’s Larissa Loyva with keys and vocals, spat polished harmonies before a swirl of flashing lights.
The show came with a slight caveat. Before the second song started, Krell said, “I’m so sick tonight,” and warned the audience that there was a chance that he might fall over. After that, though, he gave a shoutout to everyone in attendance, noting that attendance for Tuesday shows had been somewhat lackluster throughout the tour. Directly after, the group launched into an animated rendition of “Face Again” which featured a violin segment at the end that was an elegant highlight of the night. How To Dress Well continued, playing a version of “Repeat Pleasure” that featured prominent drums after a bit of falsetto.
I wasn’t prepared for how funny Krell is. Throughout the night he interacted with the crowd, starting with saying that he doesn’t really enjoy weed. After someone shouted, “Prove it!” he jokingly suggested that he “should bring out the truth bong,” which ended up being a popular refrain between songs for the rest of the show. He even expertly handled a few fans that were slightly too drunk and really trying to match Krell’s humor as he talked with members of the audience. Along with his drummer, Drew, who he grew up with, he talked about an old emo band that they played in and accidentally let the name of it slip, which he had avoided for the whole tour. The band was called A Faraway Place, and no, you can’t find it online. Trust me, I’ve tried. The crowd erupted at the suggestion of playing a couple of tunes which Krell immediately shut down. Maybe next time.
“Cold Nites” was next, and the group wielded a wall of sound to add extra depth to the song off of 2012’s Total Loss.
Krell let a beaming smile loose in the middle of singing during “Very Best Friend,” which featured a breakdown of teeth-ratting bass with subtle, shimmering synth drizzled on top. At this point, Krell started to look a bit ill, but he made light of the situation, remarking, “This is like the Michael Jordan flu game right now.” The reference went over a few heads but elicited a fair amount of cheers.
The bass was cranked up again for the beginning of “Childhood Faith in Love” to slight the detriment of the rest of the mix, but it didn’t take long for it to even out. During our chat, Krell told me that he was especially attached to the tune when picking songs for his recent video trilogy; it wasn’t difficult to see why. By the end, the song was simply bursting at the seams with a healthy dose of shout-singing.
The mood changed significantly before the next song. Before breaking into “Suicide Dream 1” off of 2010’s Love Remains, Krell told the audience that he had written it for a friend who was going through a rough time and passed away a year after the song was written, though not from suicide. The emotion onstage was extremely palpable, and the violin and piano accompaniment set the tone for the rest of the song. Krell’s voice with soft, and at parts the instruments dropped out, leaving him singing alone in the darkness of the venue. He ended the song stepping away from the dual-microphone setup while still singing. While he’s quick to distance himself from an overly dramatic and personal singer-songwriter label, it was especially clear at this point how much he pours himself into his music and how that music can act as an outlet. It was haunting, and it’s a performance that will likely stick with me for quite a while.
“Precious Love” signaled another emotive shift. The crowd immediately began singing along with the intro, and the higher tempo got the audience moving. Throughout the song, real drums were were layered over the electronic beat from the song and it sounded phenomenal. Next up was “Set It Right,” which featured a slower beat but was one of the loudest songs of the evening. Once again, most of the instruments cut out and Krell sung about people no longer present in his life that he misses. At the end of the breakdown, he pointed at his drummer and a monstrous crash ensued as the band came roiling back.
“Hey, take care of yourselves, okay?” Before starting “Words I Don’t Remember,” Krell said to the audience, “Hey, take care of yourselves, okay?” It was a small thing, but incredibly endearing. The song was a pool of ethereal sounds to start. Little bits of synth and guitar crept in and the song’s signature warbling intro commenced. During the wordless section, the audience chimed in with “oohs” and helped give the song a little extra life.
The stage emptied out, but not for long, as the band came back for an encore performance of “Decisions.” The song, boasting slow guitar, soft drums, and delicate harmonies was an interesting, but great, way to close out the night. At the very end of the song, Krell continued the vocal acrobatics that had been on display during the evening, and used his voice to mimic sounds from a woodwind instrument (Yes, I know). It was the perfect cap to one of the best shows I’ve seen this year. In a musical landscape laden with acts that have a more indie take on R&B, How To Dress Well stands taller than most.
