8/10

Following on from the critical success of his sophomore full-length 'A New Place 2 Drown', crooning frontman King Krule aka Archy Marshall returns with his third studio effort 'The OOZ'. And after spending much of the last couple of years collaborating with other artists, the singer has delivered a diverse and interesting release that suits all the hallmarks of a great poet and storyteller.

Mixing a trip-hop style production and psychedelic guitar hooks, 'The OOZ' plays almost like a nightmare in the head of Tom Waits. Marshall's instantly identifiable voice melts through each and every track, creating this fusion of disturbing menace and intense energy. Those who are familiar with the singles so far may be surprised at how dark the record is as a whole, but still manages to create a succinct and cohesive body of work.

'The OOZ' may be the chalk to the cheese that was 'A New Place 2 Drown', but with his superbly on-point vocals navigating the listener through this brooding underworld, it proofs to be a likeable release with plenty of ebbs and flows to keep you engaged.