Halls knows when to be quiet. On "White Chalk," from the South Londoner's debut album, Ark, a gothic choir hums for a minute then holds their breath for Halls to tap a single piano key. Nary a song passes without a note fading to nothing, or drowning in the air-conditioned zzzzz of an empty room. He draws you in, and for an album so incredibly intimate—made only more so by his delicate, watery voice—Halls knows when to let push back, too, flirting with straight up rock on "Reverie" and the great "Shadow of the Colossus." Hear it all below. Ark comes out October 15th via No Pain in Pop.
Stream: Halls' Ark