In his teens, Marshall suffered from insomnia. He would regularly stay up all night listening to bands like The Pixies and The Libertines. Doolittle by the former he claims is his favourite album. Listening to these bands allowed his to create soundscapes. After creating and mixing a series of singles and EP's in his bedroom under various aliases, King Krule released 6 Feet Beneath The Moon on August 24th 2013.
Right from the off, Marshall has you hooked like a fish. The album is draped in genres, making it almost impossible to pin down. That in itself makes this album a very intriguing concept. Album opener 'Easy Easy' sets the tone. A basic guitar intro paves the way for Marshall's gritty, distinctive voice. It's like nothing you've ever heard before. The tone he generates is incredible and at seemingly minimal effort, because as the song builds his voice gets louder and emotive. The tone is set for the album, putting Marshall's voice at the centre of everything and the instrumentation is there purely as support.
Easy Easy (Live)
The second track is the slightly bluesier 'Border Line'. Compared to the opener, it's mellow and to an extent soothing, until about one minute in when a hip-hop beat kicks in and completely changes the dynamic of the song. In fact Marshall's voice is a perfect fit for hip-hop. The way he croons over everything is just a perfect fit. The early mid-point of this album completely changes the mood set by the opening two tracks. 'Foreign 2' is full of weird little sounds that meander like sound-waves. It's a very spacey song aided by the echo effect plastered over Marshall's voice. Combine this with the little splutters of sound and the song is quite uneasy and eerie. 'Baby Blue' is a real jazz-inspired track during which Marshall talks about missed chances and the want of somebody's company. "Edging closer, you swim my, girl I've got no chance and nothing to say, girl but stay here for a little while". This is the first time we get a real sense of emotion on the album. There is soul behind that voice.
'A Lizard State' is where we see King Krule in full flow. It's one of the only songs on the album that feature - what sounds like - a full band behind Marshall. And boy does it sound great. It has a slight whiff of The Last Shadow Puppets about it in the way that it sounds like it's been lifted from a British spy film. This is helped by the addition of a brass section which really add texture and depth to the song. Then as soon as you think that the album is going in a new fuller direction, the mood is restored with the beautifully simple 'Ocean Bed'. It's also one of the most positive sounding songs, at least instrumentally anyway. But once the album draws to a close, King Krule bring out the big guns. 'Out Getting Ribs' is without doubt the track that stands out. From the moment the intricate guitar riff slides down the guitar there is real feeling that this is something special. The high pitched wails of a second guitar really bring it all together and that voice, still on form from the first song just grabs your ears. There is a a slight touch of The Pixies within this song too (as mentioned earlier) not musically, but in terms of structure. There are parts which are quieter than others and then everything is lifted for the ending.
If there is ANY criticism of this album, it's that it could have been the album dreams are made of had it featured a full band. But, that's where this albums beauty lies. In it's simplicity. All you need is the voice, a guitar (or two) and minimal production which allows the true emotion to shine through.
9/10
Best Songs: Easy Easy & Out Getting Ribs
Best Songs: Easy Easy & Out Getting Ribs
Out Getting Ribs (Live)
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