King Krule - Space Heavy

The otherworldly vortex of sound that King Krule, real name Archy Marshall, has been busy honing over the best part of a decade gives immediate accuracy to the title of his fourth studio album, ‘Space Heavy’: a record as densely claustrophobic as it is endlessly sprawling. Initially concocted on countless train journeys between his two bases of London and Liverpool, its themes have since taken on minds of their own, giving rise to the minimalist shudders of the largely instrumental ‘When Vanishing’ and the unexpected yet welcome vocal collaboration on ‘Seagirl’. They quickly cut through the deliberate drone of Archy’s orchestration that pushes the boundaries of spoken word, contemporary jazz and indie rock, unfolding as more of an arthouse production seemingly ready to offer more serious concert halls their bleakest performances yet. It’s heavy in atmosphere and tone; think David Bowie’s ‘Blackstar’ or Nick Cave if he’d spent a few hours drinking with Squid, offering a constant stream of musical intricacies that not only surprise but pull everything back together with unique precision. Ten years in, it’s unmistakably King Krule, yet somehow even broader, denser, and crucially more enticing than what has come before.