Review: King Krule - 6 Feet Beneath the Moon

image: kingkrule.co.uk

It baffles me that this guy isn't massive. His obscure sound, loosely resonant of a Jamie T/James Blake love-child, with thrown in jazzy and bluesy instrumentals is like nothing the world has ever heard before but it works so well.

I stumbled upon King Krule a.k.a Archy Marshall 2 years ago when he was playing under the pseudonym  'Zoo Kid'. The first track I heard from him was 'Out Getting Ribs' and I was utterly mesmerised, I remember listening to it through my earphones on the way to school everyday for months. I was constantly on the look out for new material from him but he had disappeared into the woodwork for a good twelve months. However, 2011 saw his return with his 5 track self-titled EP, closely followed by the release of the amazing 'Rock Bottom,' and 'Octopus' released via Rinse in 2012.

My expectations for this album were exceedingly high based on Krule's previous work and if anything, the finished product is even better than I imagined. 'Easy Easy,' which is a song I have been besotted by in recent weeks, opens the album in a more dynamic style compared to other tracks on the album. The predominately guitar produced track combines down-to-earth lyrics about the consumerist nature of the 21st century with untamed riffs which can only be described as addictive.

King Krule claims that the album title '6 Feet Beneath the Moon' is a metaphor for the idea that we are always too far away from our dreams and that nature really is reflected in each track which loosely conveys the demeanour of a man with a chip on each shoulder. Tracks like 'Has This Hit?' and 'Neptune Estate' present a deeper and more personal side to the record whereas 'A Lizard State' builds on the rant infused, almost humorous tone of 'Easy Easy.' The best track on the album for me would have to be 'Ocean Bed,' purely because of its laid-back, bluesy rhythm and effortless riffs, embellished with stunning lyrics.

All in all, this album is an exceedingly good effort and I shall be looking forward to hearing what he has in store for us in the future, not to mention what is in store for him off the back of this album.

***

8/10