Review: King Krule – The OOZ
By Matthew Derwin | Nov 6 2017
Arriving two years after the Londoner’s last release, The OOZ is a sprawling, sludgy trip into King Krule’s psyche. Mixing the electronic sentiments of his second album A New Place 2 Drown with the guitar-focused rock of his debut 6 Feet Beneath the Moon, the result is a project that is difficult to place into any one genre.‘The Locomotive’ feels bleak and oppressive, as Marshall’s self-pitying moans,“I wish I was people,” are melded with a grim, crescendo-ing riff. The raw energy of ‘Vidual’ is a direct contrast, with its jumpy, surf rock-inspired guitar line. Marshall’s heavy post-punk and alternative influences come to the forefront on this record. They can be heard on tracks like ‘Dum Surfer’ and ‘Emergency Blimp.’ Both are deliciously grungy, and provide a counter to the calmer tracks that precede them.Interludes add to the surreal atmosphere cultivated by the album. ‘Bermondsey Bosom’ is split into two pieces titled ‘(Left)’ and ‘(Right),’ comprising the same eerie spoken word evocation of filth, bloodsuckers, and parasites, delivered in Spanish and English respectively.Despite the daunting 19-song tracklist, nothing in The OOZ feels like filler. If anything, with its seamless transitions and consistent themes, it plays like a singular, hour-long piece. The grimy urban imagery, combined with glimpses into Marshall’s troubled mind, creates an album that feels both impersonal and intimate at the same time.In a nutshell: The OOZ is something truly unique, matching, if not surpassing, the standard of King Krule’s previous work.