Alekxandr intrigues on tender slow-burner "Tell Jackson"

The new track initially sets Alekxandr's vulnerable narrative against the most sparse of backdrops, slowly fleshing out the sonic skeleton with a sweet swell of strings and keys as it progresses. The London singer needs little support as he plainly lays bare the rawness and ache of heartbreak; his soulful vocal tells its own story, effortlessly mapping to "Tell Jackson"'s tale of love, addiction, and tumultuous emotion. There's a subtle sensuality here too, one that keeps melancholy on its toes and boredom very much at bay.

Less may not always be more, but Aleksandr keeps it simple to great effect. The brittle sharpness of lines like "I know I wasted time/Now time wastes me," cut, barb-like, through the song's calculated minimalism, gut punch after perfect gut punch.

"Tell Jackson" is only Aleksandr's third release, and is the lead single to be taken from forthcoming EP LITTLEKING. It follows debut single "s a l t c r y s t a l s", a more electronic take on the artist's artfully employed scarcity, and the iPhone-sampling "If...". Alekxander plays an EP launch show at London's Vault Festival on 31 January.