King Krule ”Space Heavy” Album Review
Space Heavy
King Krule
- Genre: Alternative
- Date: 09 Jun, 2023
- Content: explicit
- Region: NGA
- Track(s): 15
- ℗ 2023 King Krule under exclusive license to XL Recordings Ltd
Archy Ivan Marshall, an English singer, songwriter, musician, rapper, and record producer, was born on 24 August 1994. His stage name, King Krule, also knows him. English singer-songwriter Archy Marshall’s fourth album as King Krule and fifth studio album is titled “Space Heavy.” Through XL Recordings and Matador Records, the album was made available on 9 June 2023. On 13 April 2023, the album’s announcement and its lead single, “Seaforth,” were made public. Following the album’s release, Marshall will be set to perform a UK tour.
The term “cinematic” has now been overused to describe music, yet King Krule’s Space Heavy brings precise visual pictures, specifically of a lonely day by the sea. The songs on the album are thoughtfully anchored with real-world information, such as the trains he’s traveled on over the past few years as he alternates between London and the coast. Although the 28-year-old singer-songwriter is currently in a committed relationship and the father of a child, his fifth studio album sounds more lonesome than previous albums like 2013’s “6 Feet Beneath the Moon.”
Album Art
The ship in the album art is depicted sailing across the night sky. The only difference is that this isn’t actually a ship; it’s more of a vessel, and the sea isn’t blue; it’s more red than blue, which suggests turbulent waters—in this case, the waterways of the mind—as Krule takes his followers into his most private thoughts, which rock on his stormy waters.
Tracks And Features
Fans of King Krule who are eager to lose themselves in Marshall’s ethereal, melancholy 15-track soundscapes will adore the string section that graces the album’s opening track, “Flimsier,” as well as the oddly named but endearing “Tortoise Of Independency” (“Why do you walk with me so slowly? / Said I walk like I’m in a trance… I merely wanted this moment to endure forever when I uttered it. Maybe the more depressing “Empty Stomach Space Cadet,” in which Marshall laments, “And if I die, just throw me in the trash / Without you, I’m not there.”
The more subdued tracks can sometimes blend into one another. Thus, ‘Space Heavy’s’ whiplash-inducing moments offer some much-needed variation. On the frenzied “Pink Shell,” Marshall virtually laughs as he yells, “I’m now your girlfriend!” A similar burst of energy runs through the title track as Marshall screams, “My plastic straw!” as his band amps up the grunge.
Although the music of Space Heavy is noticeably grimmer than the lyrics, even the lyrics’ themes of solitude recur frequently. While “Seaforth,” whose name is taken from a village north of Liverpool, is a love ballad with apocalyptic overtones to witnessing “the planet dyin’ up above,” “Wednesday Overcast” describes lovers who are struggling to find one another. From the Blur-inspired lead hit “Seaforth,” which is named after the Merseyside neighborhood of the same name, to the following track “That Is My Life, That Is Yours,” where he “takes the bus to Bishopsgate” in a stupor.
The magnificent ‘Seagirl’ is where ‘Space Heavy’ shines, with Marshall welcoming New York singer-songwriter Raveena to share vocal responsibilities. Marshall and Raveena’s contrasting musical styles brilliantly intertwine and complement one another on this song by King Krule, which is the first time a guest artist has been given a feature credit. Raveena’s metronomic “take, take, take” refrain will stick in your brain for days after you hear it for the first time. The lull only ends during instrumental interludes, such as a saxophone solo on “That Is My Life, That Is Yours.”
As usual, Marshall appears to be quite depressed, and as usual, this makes him angry. But not enraged like he was—constantly frustrated by society or romantically abused by whichever woman. The film “Flimsier” creates a beautiful, creaking lament for a failing relationship, whereas the comedy “Hamburgerphobia” mockingly characterizes a lover’s jabs as “harsh” but “valid.” In the happier domestic postcard “From the Swamp,” he writes about a persistent temptation and a nostalgic yearning that he eventually overcomes. He mumbles, flirting with the anthemic, “If it’s from the swamp, then back it goes.”
The ferocious lament “If Only It Was Warmth,” which is recorded life, comes off as pale and defanged but still manages to be economically expressive. “My head was empty/My life was discreet/A lot has changed/Now a lot means to me,” the 28-year-old sings in the album’s stark closer, “Wednesday Overcast,” which also serves as a celebration of the album’s conclusion. This is a typical snapshot of this mobile creative phase.
Tracklist
| NO | TITLE | TIME |
| 1 | Flimsier | 3:59 |
| 2 | Pink Shell | 2:15 |
| 3 | Seaforth | 4:05 |
| 4 | That Is My Life, That Is Yours | 3:11 |
| 5 | Tortoise of Independency | 2:07 |
| 6 | Empty Stomach Space Cadet | 2:07 |
| 7 | Flimsy | 1:13 |
| 8 | Hamburgerphobia | 3:19 |
| 9 | From the Swamp | 3:03 |
| 10 | Seagirl (feat. Raveena) | 3:22 |
| 11 | Our Vacuum | 3:22 |
| 12 | Space Heavy | 3:04 |
| 13 | When Vanishing | 3:12 |
| 14 | If Only It Was Warmth | 3:17 |
| 15 | Wednesday Overcast | 3:07 |
Album Summary
Marshall’s most recent King Krule album is emotionally heavy, but ironically, it features some of the album’s cleanest soundscapes. The album’s final lingering notes and the instant you raise your finger to press play again promote repeated listening, but there’s also something special about staying in that transitional area.
One explanation for Space Heavy’s constrained scope is that Marshall has become skeptical of masterpiece thinking and the macho ideal of a wounded genius due to understanding all of this. His songs have always felt familiar because of the charcoal-smeared London night and the nocturnal jazz pace. The renowned London singer-songwriter’s ambitions feel appropriately local on Space Heavy for the first time.
The album transcends the rage and self-mutilation of some of 2020’s Man Alive’s most dramatic songs! As a result of the use of drums and saxophones that have jazz influences throughout his tracks, King Krule’s music has long indicated a noir-themed soundtrack. Ghostly chilly jazz undertones on Space Heavy create a chilling backdrop for looking inward. ‘Space Heavy’ will take on a lofty standing in King Krule’s already brilliant discography thanks to this joint incursion that successfully forges new ground regarding Marshall’s solo work. Lucas Hedges will undoubtedly be among the many people anxious to add this album to their collection.
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