King Krule: Growing Old in Misery

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It’s midnight on a hot August night in East London. A simple three chord melody rings in the basement of a dimly lit dive bar. This melody transforms into the picking pattern of a soft hollow body guitar as the savory line of a saxophone breezes into your ear. In contrast, a dark bassy voice emerges from a pale red-haired teenager to create a murky yet calming appeal. 

Archy Marshall, a.k.a. King Krule, has been creating a unique sound for himself since early 2010 under pseudonyms. Like a dark blue spot on a pink canvas, King Krule’s brand of gloomy jazz stands out in a sea of dream-pop artists. With abstract vocals and difficult subject matter, it's no wonder why Archy appeals to a very angsty audience. 

 At 19, Archy released his 2013 debut album, “6 Feet Beneath the Moon.” Four years later, Archy put out his second album “The OOZ,” which was met with massive commercial success. In typical illusive fashion, King Krule disappeared shortly after a brief tour. 

With no social media presence, fans didn’t hear anything new until a mysterious video titled “Hey World!” dropped out of nowhere on November 19th of 2019. The video was directed by Archy himself and showed him performing three songs semi-acoustically in various locations. It was filmed on a VHS recorder for a nostalgic aesthetic and gave many fans a glimpse of hope. 

Finally, in February of 2020, King Krule debuted his third album titled “Man Alive!” Right off the bat, you can sense a significant shift between his previous albums. While the edginess is still there on some songs, it’s significantly overshadowed by the existential dread of his lyrics on tracks like “Cellular” and “Perfecto Miserable.” When he’s not singing about getting jumped in East London (“Comet Face”) or alcoholic benders (“Stoned Again”), Archy sings about his partner and whether or not he will be able to battle his personal demons for the sake of his newborn daughter. 

While the subject matter is emotionally taxing at times, the album is beautiful in a morbid sense. The hope of his new daughter is what’s keeping Archy on the straight and narrow while curbing his addiction. Archy is no longer a fan of his own self-destructing behaviors, ones which have driven a wedge between him and his partner. Additionally, Archy contrasts the disorder of his home with the disorder of the world; with such songs as “Cellular” describing the utter shambles of the world right now. He relates the endless wars waged by the West to his own fights at home. With a newfound hope, Archy is determined to fix himself and his immediate world for his daughter.