Space Heavy: King Krule's Latest Album - A Review

By: Lilease Waldron

On June 9, 2023, Archie Marshall, better known by the stage name of King Krule, released his fifth studio album titled Space Heavy. He identifies as an indie artist while peeking into the genres of R&B and jazz-rock, notably inspired by blues and electronica. 

While the mood of the album surely followed in the same angsty footsteps of his previous releases, Krule took a unique route with Space Heavy and explored the theme of (funnily enough) space. Whether it be negative or positive, or in the literal or metaphorical sense. There's a huge feeling of separation and loss, or space, between him and this other person, feeling, or thing he’s discussing, especially in the parental sense.

“Pink Shell” was one of my favorite features on the album. It played beautifully as a funky explosion of bass and saxophone, with Krule expressing vulnerable experiences and intensifying the instrumentals to match him during the exact right moments. Most of the songs touch on romantic messages, but this was dirty, tragic, and roughly performed, in the best way possible; especially lyrically.

Krule’s voice must be applauded, as it’s the most entrancing feature of his performance. The deep tone he utilizes is instantly recognized, not clashing, but rather complimenting the instrumentals. He often draws on for great lengths, either in a soft manner or jagged, by outright screaming or wailing in a theatrical way. “Spacy Heavy” is another featured song on the album and, in my opinion, it best represents the full vocal range Krule has to provide. 

At 45 minutes of listening time total, I highly recommend taking a moment and putting the rest of this album to your own review. It goes by quickly, and not one song will feel repetitive or bore you. It’s creative and abstract, experimental but still classic and inviting, with pulls from so many different music inspirations. Since this is a true album review, I would have to give Krule a total rating of 9/10 on Space Heavy. There are one or two songs I’ll admit that I can’t see myself returning to, but most are written to be unforgettable.