Archy Marshall - ‘A New Place 2 Drown’

The rise of King Krule never lent enough credit to Archy Marshall’s many layers. From Zoo Kid, through various mixtapes and guest productions and eventually touching down with what became King Krule debut ‘6 Feet Beneath The Moon’’s signature sound, there’s a sense with everything Marshall puts a name to that he’s toying with his own creativity; stretching muscles he didn’t even know he had. ‘A New Place 2 Drown’ is his boldest statement to date, in that regard: a 208-page book of poetry and illustration and an accompanying short film come packaged with the record itself. It’s a flood of the senses for all those who’ve been bemoaning his disappearance in early 2014.

Those waiting for King Krule’s return won’t be disappointed, but ‘A New Place 2 Drown’ is undoubtedly a work of its own. That jagged King Krule edge is smoothed over, its rougher edges washed-away by smooth synths, and while lements of his beat production work under the DJ JD Sports moniker return to cut through the haze - most notably on rumbling highlight ‘The Sea Liner Mk 1’ - on the whole it’s a smoggier offering.