POINTS OF INTEREST First vinyl release & Ghostly debut Worked with Solange, Kindness, Dev Hynes & Chairlift includes a download card with 2 bonus tracks.

"Champion Music for the Heartbroken" is how Bryndon Cook, who records as Starchild, describes Crucial, his first EP for Ghostly.

It's easy to hear what he means: Starchild creates songs that draw equally on electro and R&B, and at the center of every one of them is an undeniable twinge of sadness.

After leaving home for New York, he gradually made connections that would inspire him. His college roommate was Ghostly artist Lord RAJA, and the two formed a fast friendship.

A longtime fan of Lightspeed Champion, he received encouragement from Dev Hynes, with whom he'd eventually collaborate.

He received similar encouragement from Patrick Wimberly of Chairlift. Wimberly introduced Starchild to Solange, who recruited him for her touring band.

"It's been nothing short of life changing," he says. "Having the opportunity to travel the world and play festivals like Glastonbury, Bonnaroo and Pitchfork was huge.

She taught me that if you stay true to yourself, you can take all the time in the world to do one special thing, the right way." Crucial is Starchild's "special thing," an album that synthesizes his experience and influences - from the go-go, soul, gospel and jazz he absorbed while living in the D.C./Maryland/Virginia area to the soundtrack of his teen years: Usher, Ciara, OutKast and Soulja Boy.

Even his nam comes from a moment in his youth. "I grew up across the street from the NASA Headquarters on Copernicus Drive in Greenbelt," he explains.

"That's one of the reasons I adopted the Starchild moniker. The other is George Clinton." Soft, twinkling opening track "All My Lovers" provides the album's backbone.

"I started writing the song during my second year at SUNY Purchase, and I thought, 'Beyonce could sing this,' he says.

"A year later, I'm playing it at the piano for her sister." Not all of the songs on the record have such dramatic provenance.

"Slammin' Mannequin," a booming, Ready For The World-like number, came "while watching my all time favorite cartoon, Hey Arnold," Starchild says.

"Chester (Lord RAJA) and I then co-produced the song over iMessage." Overall, Crucial is, as its name implies, an essential document of the emotional landscape of Starchild's heart.

"I always appreciated music that lent a helping hand and said, 'hey, are you with me? Because I am with you,'" Starchild explains.

"I hope I can do that for someone, somewhere. If I'm lucky."