Though King Krule has set his work apart with a jazz-influenced, indie guitar drive, and some of the most soulful growls around, that’s not the whole package. On his latest effort, Archy Marshall plays with space to consider the real space he’s dealt with in his life, and let his influences come in and out of the record in more unique ways than ever before. There’s a looser delivery and more ambient approach to Marshall’s writing on “Flimsier” where the free-floating mood lets in hazy synths, rippling guitar solos and a more pensive atmosphere on the whole to his work here. This all washes over into the more beachy tone of “Seaforth” where Marshall creates a relaxing sense of hope through togetherness despite the seemingly endless dread he’s up against. The more simple and downbeat sound of “Tortoise of Independency” plays more to Marshall’s jazzy roots, and lets the subtle synths hit you like a breeze to knock you right out. However it’s the sax that play out like voices from the ether on “Empty Stomach Space Cadet” that really stand out after such a sparse section of the record, and allows Marshall to really bring out his growl with a vicious dynamic energy.
Coming at your ears with a bumping soul track, Imogen Moon lets the horns come out with punch on “Nicolston Dam.” Blending a range of attitudes from fellow singers along the genre’s history, Moon sings with a powerful mix of suave and commanding force. The song drifts back and forth between brooding sadness and cool calm, giving off a sense of staying cool through the hard times. The brass and groovy bass bolster this message of strength, as they raise the whole song through its highs and lows. Moon asserts a finesse in their performance and place amongst the instrumentation to put her up there with ready to compete with the great crooners.
If King Krule’s latest record uses his jazz roots as more aesthetic, Squid’s latest release is leaning more into jazz’s spirit through its soul of spontaneity. Angular, spiraling and full of tempest-like forces, this is one of those all-out records that is either your happy place or frightning. There’s such a great sense of friction and genuine tension to “Swing (In A Dream)” that its grinding distortion, frantic horns and passionate vocals just snowball that force until it’s a truly daunting sound to behold. “Undergrowth” bears a bit of Primus-meets-sinister-Nickelodeon sound, with the whole thing playing out like a shadowy and at times, spacey battle with the abyss. The more warped digital tones of “The Blades” seem to amplify the kinetic approach of the band with the drums, melody and electronics all colliding as parts of each other while the shouts take the emotional weight to the stratosphere. “Green Light” often plays like a more straightforward track, meshing the band’s whole sound into an aesthetic for a softer pop track by them, until the whole chaotic fire of the group explodes in its b-section to create this unhinged rush of riffing and ferocious calls to act.
Continuing her voyage through more twang-infused folk-pop, Bethany Cosentino delivers sunburnt heartbreak on “Easy.” Cosentino laments the different times we have to grow up in life, whether it’s the easy adolescent years or the more subdued personal growth of adulthood. After the song’s rather downbeat first section, the melodramatic pianos open into hopeful guitars and a bright swath of other sunny arrangements. This delicately matches the “cliché” feeling of calm Cosentino sings about, as so many of the uncertain times of her youth give way to the comfort of good people.
Between a great wave of retro folk rock revival and her twang-infused crooning, Anna St. Louis has crafted a rustic and soothing place among her peers. By letting strong moments reign in an album full of breezy textures, St. Louis makes a truly affecting record. Swelling with warmth and a 70s-inspired mix of strings and guitars, “Morning” really sets a magical and harmony-rich base for St. Louis’ strong melodies to fly. The more simplified country of “Better Days” lets St. Louis’ sun-like vocals take more focus, as they glide through the verses post-choruses with a heaven-like bliss to them, despite the more downbeat energy of the track. The more serene and dreamy feelings cruise over your ears through the ringtone-esque hooks of “Phone,” with St Louis dropping several of the album’s most infectious riffs across this one track. St. Louis takes a more fun literary drive to “Patrollers” and its fun bass-roaming approach to the music, with her delivery drifting between a more personal style and something akin to “Ghost Riders in the Sky.”
