Space Heavy

''Space Heavy'' is the fifth studio album by English singer-songwriter Archy Marshall, and his fourth album under the stage name King Krule. The album was released on 9 June 2023 through XL Recordings and Matador Records. The first single off the album, "Seaforth", was released on 13 April 2023 along with the album's announcement. Marshall will tour the UK in support of the album following its release.

Background and recording

The album was written and recorded between 2020 and 2022, with Marshall working on the album during commutes between London and Liverpool, where he has residences. He had moved to Liverpool with his partner Charlotte Patmore after she gave birth to their child. During the commutes, Marshall became "fascinated by the notion of 'the space between'", which became the album's theme, along with a "narrative of lost connection" and "losing people and situations to the guillotine of the universe". The songs contain a balance of negative and positive space.

Marshall wrote most of the lyrics himself, after which he worked on the music with producer Dilip Harris and his live band, saxophonist Ignacio Salvadores, drummer George Bass, bassist James Wilson and guitarist Jack Towell.

Critical reception

''Space Heavy'' received a score of 79 out of 100 on review aggregator Metacritic from fifteen critics' reviews, indicating "generally favorable" reception. Writing for '' NME'', Sam Moore felt that the album "breaks new ground while further enriching his tried-and-trusted soundscapes" and felt that "some of the more mellow offerings do have the tendency to bleed into the next, so ''Space Heavy''s whiplash-inducing moments provide some welcome variety". Moore called "Seagirl" the highlight as Marshall and Raveena's "differing styles beautifully interweave and complement one another".

James Mellen of '' Clash'' described the album as "an ambitious world of dreams, loss, and the bleak brutality of the universe" as well as "a dynamic, visceral body of work, every bar demanding attention with its chronic shapeshifting nature". Mellen also felt that ''Space Heavy'' "weaves its way through a plethora of styles, implementing a range of genres into the world he has created" and concluded that its "never-ending sonic exploration is continually excellent". Steve Erickson of ''Slant Magazine'' opined that "the album's songs are carefully grounded" and "conjure very specific visual images to mind, specifically of a solitary day by the sea", with Erickson also finding its music to be "grimmer than the lyrics", which makes it "risk getting swamped by its downbeat mood".

Jamie Wilde of '' The Skinny'' wrote that the album's "lush song transitions, guest vocals and sharp bursts of abrasiveness all add further character. But above all else, it's the inimitability of Krule that's still as prominent as ever – sometimes primal with anger, others tender and subdued, nobody sounds like him". '' Mojo'' called it "Another mesmerising, profound, excellent record" from Marshall, while ''Uncut'' was less favourable, opining that it "happily exists in something of a fog – wilfully embracing hazy, almost groggy textures". Reviewing the album for AllMusic, Thom Jurek concluded that, "Taken whole, ''Space Heavy'' is tense, primitive, unnerving lyrically. While observing the spaces between, Marshall's songs, reflective, consumptive, instructive and compelling, simultaneously create and destroy spaces between worlds he observes, so he might remake the world he lives in with restraint, grace, a broken heart, and brutal honesty."

Track listing

Charts

References

{{King Krule

2023 albums
Albums produced by King Krule
King Krule albums
Matador Records albums
XL Recordings albums
Albums produced by Dilip Harris