If you haven’t yet met King Krule, then perhaps you know him by another name: Zoo Kid, that preternaturally gifted and incredibly camera-ready teenager with a voice like Morrissey and all of the weight of the world on his thin little shoulders. In 2010, when England’s Archy Marshall first appeared under his original nom de gloom, he was a rare and compelling talent — thankfully, he continues to deliver on that early promise even at the ripe old age of 18. In the new video for last year’s vinyl release, “Octopus,” the King dons a suit, smokes a cig, and sneers like an evil Sinatra as he paces a creepy scene. There’s a naked woman in a bathtub filled with dark water, an inert octopus lying in a sink, and everything is cast in red light. As for the song itself, while we begin with spare hits of guitar, echoing “ahhs” and small keyboard swells, we eventually arrive at a swanky sax line buttressed by a bubbly tropical beat. For his part, Krule croons about relationships and regret — things he’s perhaps too young to know much about and yet so effectively nails just about every time.
Watch King Krule Keep it Classy With an ‘Octopus’ and a Naked Lady
