Keshi
's
Requiem
is for friend and collaborator Sebastian Sdaigui, a film director and producer who died weeks before the singer/songwriter released his Top 20 debut
Gabriel
. The title song appears toward the end of this more lustrous and varied second album with a simply worded but affecting ballad where light piano evokes falling tears. Closer to the end, there's the existentialist "Just to Die," a soft, country-tinged outpouring of grief and resignation. The effects of loss don't quite permeate
. Romantic heartache with mixed emotions,
's bread and butter, is more common. The mode is exemplified by the mellow-grooving "Say," the shimmering "Dream," and the simultaneously downcast and affectionate "Soft Spot," all of which make optimal use of the singer's light, tremulous voice. ~ Andy Kellman