Indeed, initially keen to allow fans time to digest 2019 covers LP Shuffle, a shorter release was envisioned but, overwhelmed by the whirl of emotions, the eventual mid-length format works perfectly, short enough to feel like an uncalculated outburst and just long enough for difficult ideas to be unpacked."It’s the musical version of a novella," Jamie continues, "like Conrad’s Heart Of Darkness or Waugh’s The Loved One."
Like those literary reference-points, King Of Clubs descends into uneasy lightlessness. Between the 153 seconds of Kill Me (a throbbing statement strangely evocative of post-millennium Nine Inch Nails) and more sprawling, sludgy closer King Of Clubs, it becomes clear that this is the angriest and most intense Jamie Lenman has been since at least 2013 solo debut Muscle Memory. Proof, were it needed, of the unmatched emotional dexterity of one of Britain’s most underrated songsmiths.
Verdict: 4/5
For Fans Of: Reuben, IDLES, Black Futures
King Of Clubs is released on September 25 via Big Scary Monsters.
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