Man Alive! – King Krule Review – A confident, refined look into Krule’s mind

Archy Marshall, better known as King Krule returned in February with his latest, most expressive work to date, with his 3rd studio album Man Alive! The album follows Marshall becoming a father in 2019, and showcases his new found optimism in life, and strength in the darkest of times.

This melting pot of jazz, post punk, and techno, tells the story of Marshall overpowering his previous sense of loneliness, as he finds a new strength in the birth of his first child.

Krule comes out of the blocks with Cellular, a dissociative, jangly and confident track shows Marshall means business. This track details the struggles and horrors of his head experienced in the past, as he questions himself ‘What am I good for?’ and how he has struggled being ‘Abandoned, to the voice in my head’. These Demons are immediately cast away in Supermarché, as Marshall cries ‘Let go’. This is where Krule references the strength the birth of his child has given him, ‘Young children with shields of love’.

The album progresses past ‘Stoned Again’ a love/hate song ode to marijuana, to the centrepiece of the album, another couplet of songs ‘Perfecto Miserable’ and ‘Alone Omen 3’. In the former, the South Londoner opens up about his struggles with loneliness, as he tells us about ‘another lonely night’ further referencing his toils with the past. However, in the follow up ‘Alone, Omen 3’ those issues are tossed to the side, in this uplifting, triumphant track he exclaims ‘You’re not alone’ showcasing his newfound strength.

This is the climax of the record, which sees to dwindle to a close, with the final expression of hope for the future with ‘please complete thee’ in which Krule is completed by his daughter, as he puts his loneliness behind him, steps out of the cold, wet and dark troubles of the past into parenthood with a new, stronger mindset.