6/10

Ever since he first emerged, King Krule's Archy Marshall has always been one to explore the more existential aesthetics within his work. With his previous records garnering huge praise and acclaim upon release, he has kept this incredibly ambivalent approach to his sound throughout his tenure, giving him an instantly identifiable style across the last decade. But as he continues his adventures through newfound fatherhood, he seems to be searching for something new to explore on his fourth full-length 'Space Heavy', a record that feels a little more disconnected than what we are used to from him.

Since its first incarnation, the King Krule project has never looked to fit into any kind of box or given genre, giving him this free rein to develop and cultivate almost any idea that comes his way. And while that adventurous spirit has proven extremely lucrative in the last few years, for 'Space Heavy', it feels as if he is struggling to find an interesting direction to take his latest work at time. While it still maintains plenty of fresh and exploitative concepts, there are a number of times where his creative momentum seems lost and meanders away from anything with bite or intrigue.

Largely a release that is the artist coming to terms with his new family dynamic, 'Space Heavy' doesn't quite have the same instantly engaging direction he has become synonymous for these last few years. Occasionally dabbling in some more dazzling ideals in places, it just doesn't feel like his old self anymore.