After a four year wait since King Krule’s first album, he finally blesses us with his follow up with the eclectic The OOZ. Combining elements of jazz and more contemporary production techniques, King Krule channels a plethora of influences, from jazz legends to James Blake.

Long-time fans of King Krule will appreciate the mixture of songs on this album, from the opening track ‘Biscuit town’, which epitomises King Krule’s crooning, brooding jazz style, to the almost dastardly ‘Vidual’. The few singles which were released prior to the album fit cohesively in the listening experience as ‘Czech One’ serves as a relaxed interlude, with its spoken word poetry over the gleamingly smooth chords floating in the background, leading into the drug-induced ‘A Slide In’ where the horns in the second half of the song inject a certain amount of intensity to the track.

 

Nineteen tracks on a single album may be a lot to absorb for the newer listeners of King Krule but perseverance is an ally, as one continuous listen of the whole album allows you to appreciate all the layers to this project. From the funky bassline of ‘Half Man Half Shark’ to the lethargy of ‘Slush Puppy’, expectations of songs are subverted as the high pace funk turns into a melancholy reflection and lethargy builds to a powerful crescendo.

 

Melancholy is once again King Krule’s preferred emotion to explore as the poetry in his lyrics reflect that. Arguably, the best-written songs are ones which encapsulate and reflect true emotions rather than attempt to impose foreign emotions of the listener. Fortunately, King Krule manages to do just this.

Lyle Broom

Photo Credit: YouTube.com