UK based singer-songwriter, guitarist and producer King Krule dropped the moniker and released his latest project A New Place to Drown under his real name, Archy Marshall. The ambient opener, "Any God of Yours," is well-produced and a clear window to a record that is more moody soundtrack than an album as Marshall moans over crackles and backdrop production.
"Ammi Ammi" is a beautifully electric-fused soundscape, with guitar riffs and a smooth melody paired with evocative lyrics: "She takes my hand and doesn't let go / I feel it deep within my soul / Oh, this person hates my bones." It peaks, and plateaus, and is one of the few songs where Marshall actually sings audibly. Marshall's record is not an easy listen and the production is atmospheric, with influences ranging from electronic music, '90s rap and contemporary R&B. As a plain record, most songs of A New Place to Drown are more or less forgettable. But if you complement Marshall's record with his short doc and his 208-page book of photographs, poetry and artwork co-created by his visual artist brother, it changes the experience.
The kid still has his killer lyrical sentiments though, and the soundtrack is exceptionally produced and emotive, and Marshall's experience is more palpable than ever. In "Dull Boys" Marshall sulks in his invisibility to a lover and rips open her motives. If alter-ego Zoo Kid is the poet and King Krule is the bluesy singer, then Archy Marshall must be the solitary producer. As a follow-up to 6 Feet Beneath the Moon, ANPTD lacks the charm that made his 2013 record amiable. This new work finds Marshall revealing himself through the sound of his combined musical sensibilities and artistry, rather than his gut-punching lyrics and bellowing voice. In "Buffed Sky," Marshall emotes "I fly solo," hitting heavy on solo.
(True Panther Sounds)"Ammi Ammi" is a beautifully electric-fused soundscape, with guitar riffs and a smooth melody paired with evocative lyrics: "She takes my hand and doesn't let go / I feel it deep within my soul / Oh, this person hates my bones." It peaks, and plateaus, and is one of the few songs where Marshall actually sings audibly. Marshall's record is not an easy listen and the production is atmospheric, with influences ranging from electronic music, '90s rap and contemporary R&B. As a plain record, most songs of A New Place to Drown are more or less forgettable. But if you complement Marshall's record with his short doc and his 208-page book of photographs, poetry and artwork co-created by his visual artist brother, it changes the experience.
The kid still has his killer lyrical sentiments though, and the soundtrack is exceptionally produced and emotive, and Marshall's experience is more palpable than ever. In "Dull Boys" Marshall sulks in his invisibility to a lover and rips open her motives. If alter-ego Zoo Kid is the poet and King Krule is the bluesy singer, then Archy Marshall must be the solitary producer. As a follow-up to 6 Feet Beneath the Moon, ANPTD lacks the charm that made his 2013 record amiable. This new work finds Marshall revealing himself through the sound of his combined musical sensibilities and artistry, rather than his gut-punching lyrics and bellowing voice. In "Buffed Sky," Marshall emotes "I fly solo," hitting heavy on solo.