Modernist pop with a bruised soul; I like the sound of that. The feeling here is dramatic, almost cinematic in its film noir rendition of present-day love, gone bad. The desperation, the frustration, the defeatism: it's the tale told by us all in this world full of misfires.

The production elements are exquisite, the dynamics of the arrangement accentuated by the sound of an orchestra, creating a style-forward chamber-pop ballad. It's got all the swank of a London Grammar and the feminine mystique of a Florence Welch. Dig in.

Riva Taylor is a singer-songwriter from London. This song is featured on our Roots Collection playlist.