I was wary of King Krule when he surfaced in 2010 at just 16, with such a deep voice - but that is a bit ageist of me. But maybe i just needed to do things in my own time, and now that he is maybe at the peak of his development - I feel that this is his time and his place to shine - free of hype and my own personal hangups.
The fact that he entitled his latest studio album "The OOZ" and brands himself "The Oozmaster" makes life a bit easier as it reflects the jazz / post-punk / fusion that is lava-lamped throughout it's epic run-time. I scored a VIP ticket last-minute, but decided to skip the view high up to be in the
mêlée with the oozers.
His set was a true 90 minute belter of nuance. Yes, that last sentence seems like a wordy contradiction but the highs and lows were more sustained, especially with talcum-snow being beautifully wafted into the smoking area as hearing Krule from the outside was akin to oral voyeurism.
Archy Marshall - the oozmaster!- blended the last seven years into a wondrous set, with one of the best audiences I have ever been, with a stellar light show and the melding of songs into one another, all the way from "A Lizard State" right up to "Biscuit Town" - anthems within meltdowns and meltdowns within anthems; schmoozing class. ;
Where this cadet goes from here is not as hazy as the music itself. I can seriously envisage a long road with many platitudes and avenues and layers and cakes and suburbs and snow and rain and smoke and lag and fear and joy and loneliness and companionship and the blues and Krule and ooze and with you, and all.