King Krule is a well known name for many. This blusterous Manchester night time saw the creme de la creme of the Northern quarters hippest contingent descend on the (literally and metaphorically) underground venue of Soup Kitchen for a show from an artist who might appear to be a produce more of style than substance. King Krule (Archy Marshall) is a teenager who encapsulates the fly blending of urban style and lackluster indie pop. This collaboration of genres doesn’t stop at King Krule’s attire. Whilst some of the tracks might have been little less than a demonstration of a sound, this radar show up North showcased an artist with a bright and appropriately stylish future.
He doesn’t talk much, to the point where is drummer is responsible for the big ‘thank you’ at the end but it works quite nicely. He looks almost sulky on stage, reluctantly strumming the guitar and bellowing out his rough and often baritone vocals. Tracks from the debut EP like ‘Noose of Jah City’ and ‘Portrait In Black and Blue’ translate really well. King Krule has a certain free element to his sound. A logical parallel might come in the form of Mike Skinner, another seemingly unaffected lyricist whose sound was predominantly scaffolded on a need to make a noise. Maybe it’s just a front with King Krule and his homegrown style is a carefully crafted ploy but nevertheless, his unwillingness to gushingly thank the crowd or appear at all shaken by the rapturous applause made him a tad cooler in most people’s eyes.
As a musician, Marshall was tight, the loose guitar lines and ruffling drum beats gelled together just like they did on record. Occasionally the band would share eye contact to make sure the understated crescendos were captured as planned, the sound was also complimented by the addition of a saxophonist which perfectly recreated the eclectic and slightly outlandish sound of the debut release. The urban tones that make King Krule stand out weren’t lost either, he’d snarl as he sang and often his slightly distant expression teetered on the verge of being obnoxious which seems right for a heavily talked about under 18 year old. The songs were there and it’s really exciting when the character of King Krule (artificial or otherwise) seems to be taking shape also.
On the whole the buzz around this artist is justified. The sounds are original and carry with them something immeasurably current. The hype won’t die down and I expect across the year Archy Marshall will become almost like a Dev Hynes type character who can float amongst the undiscovered sharing musicianship and originality. Until that day comes, we can follow King Krule an act still finding it’s feet but an outlet for an individual with a lot to say.
