As a teenager in Boulder, Colorado, Tom Krell was listening to artists that hardly resemble the blend of dark ambient and pop/R&B he currently produces under How to Dress Well. Bands like Taking Back Sunday, The Starting Line, and other post-emo groups permanently shaped his youth as he began to conceptually understand how to assemble lyrics and sounds that masked his feelings.
Krell’s struggles were obvious among those who comprised his high school garage band, A Far Away Place, and it was clear that he was dealing with issues far too heavy for a 17-year-old to grasp. Raised by a mother with crippling depression and two brothers diagnosed with Asperger syndrome, Krell lived his young adult years without a grounded sense of affection. He dated a woman who needed an abortion during their time together, another who experienced a miscarriage, and lost his best friend before reaching the age of 30. Thus, it makes sense that his third proper album boldly questions this abstract concept of love.
Up until this point, we as listeners haven’t unmasked Tom Krell. His first album, Love Remains, featured heavily reverbed vocals over incredibly dense electronic textures, which sounded very much like a mental health patient unwilling to open up to a therapist. Now, however, “What is This Love?” proudly displays Krell’s face almost as a presentation to his fans that he actually exists. And while it’s been evident that he wants to comfortably operate within the pop realm (he’s stated that he wants a No. 1 Billboard hit at some point in his career), his intentions have never been more evident than on this record.
Krell is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in philosophy with an emphasis in nihilism. And, much like his concentration, “What is This Love?” seeks to deconstruct the myth behind love. In Krell’s mind, love exists mainly as a commodity and is misunderstood by the broader population. This is evident when he addresses his longtime girlfriend on “Words I Don’t Remember” by saying, “What is love but nothing more than anything you wanted baby,” wondering if their relationship was nothing more than a societal construct.
The idea that love and affection are oftentimes taken for granted seeps further into Krell’s musical style on “What is This Love?”. Much like the concepts he’s examining in his lyrics, his musical style warps R&B’s foundational elements that align with more progressive electronic musicians like Steve Reich or William Basinski. Essentially the album works as a nihilistic quest in which Krell wants his listeners to re-examine the surrounding world.“What is This Love?” is fundamentally a question to both Krell himself and those listening. He certainly doesn’t know the answers to the thoughts he’s proposing on this album, but he illuminates a path to clearer understanding.
"What is This Heart?"