‘What Is This Heart?’ a pleasure for fans of all genres

Most every song on the record has a very loose, serene feel to it and “Repeat Pleasure,” is no exception. It starts off lightly, with acoustic guitar strumming and keyboards that could easily double as the intro to a chick-flick. Krell’s fragile voice enters the track, and the song transforms into a smooth stream of music. Snare beats seem to line the borders of the song, preventing its peripheral elements from drifting too far off from the centerpiece that is Krell’s singing.

If I didn’t pay close attention to the lyrics and instruments of “Repeat Pleasure,” as well as most tracks on “What Is This Heart?,” they would all blend together, but not in a forgettable way. “See You Fall” possesses very calming qualities for this same reason. The violin intro gives off a feeling of mourning, but the accompanying strings counter this sadness by providing an upbeat feel. The tranquility of Krell’s high pitch vocals keep the song afloat, preventing “See You Fall” from drifting away into sadness, creating a driving balance that sustains a blissful feeling throughout the track.

“A Power” is one of the album’s more sentimental songs. Krell discusses all sorts of emotions, finding ways to discuss common themes of being a good, loving person while avoiding sappy, cookie-cutter bullshit. Lyrics like “I want to be sympathy, went to seek sympathy, I want to die in peaceful quiet,” seem to procure real feelings from Krell, and frantic piano notes are a nice touch.

“Face Again,” stands in direct contrast to the fluffier “A Power.” Unlike most songs on the album, the track has many lower tones that give a haunting, eerie vibe to the song. A demonic, low-pitch voice echoes and responds Krell’s vocals, possibly delving into his inner conscious. Powerful bass and feedback noises pulse throughout the song, painting a mental picture of a dim light flickering on and off during the climax of a horror movie. Interjected sound bites further the trippy nature of the song.

The song finally lightens up when Krell muses “I don’t know what’s best for me,” which seems to support the idea that the demonic voice might represent some internal or external voice pushing him away from such a loving, optimistic existence.

In “What You Wanted,” the use of brass instruments in the background a strong snare and drum beat in the foreground, in combination with Krell’s smooth vocals, work to showcase the R&B influences of “What Is This Heart?.” After a funny accordion sampled intro, “Very Best Friend” develops a steady clapping beat that seems very true to hip hop, but maintains a secondary electronic feel with the accordion sample.

These two songs find their primary influences in R&B and Hip Hop respectively, but that is not to say that songs like “Precious Love,” “Words I Don’t Remember,” and many more don’t take influence from both. To be honest, “Words I Don’t Remember” is so smooth, with a catchy, basic beat and some fun samplings, that I could easily see it being played in a club setting. The fact that Krell’s voice is both high pitch and smooth is definitely a testament to his vocal abilities.

In true indie spirit, Krell decided to release “What Is This Heart?” on the album’s website prior to its release date (supposedly) without getting permission from his label, Weird World Releases. Whether or not he had permission or not is irrelevant to the album, because as far as I’m concerned this masterpiece should sell. The far-reaching influences of the songs make it easily enjoyable to fans of many genres that surprisingly flow together uninterrupted throughout the record.