‘Alone, Omen 3’ is the newest single from Archie Marshall aka King Krule, a jazz punk artist from London who shot to prominence in 2013 with his brilliant debut, 6 Feet Beneath the Moon. His latest track, along with B-side and earlier single ‘(Don’t Let the Dragon) Draag On’, presents a continuance of Marshall’s characteristic style, though it’s hard to object; the songwriting is as strong here as it was on his debut, and the delivery is bolstered by some extremely fine production.

Whilst ‘Alone, Omen 3’ might be notable for its vocal style, softly and lazily delivered in contrast with earlier tracks, the song retains the sound so distinct to the King Krule project. Jazz inspired guitars, cymbal laden drums and a dark bassline amalgamate into a fabric through which Marshall deftly weaves his lyrics; not only does the track share the qualities of many of its predecessors, it stands out as one of King Krule’s stronger outings. The change in vocal tone is fitting; Marshall’s lyrics have often been brooding and anxious in the past, but on this track he exudes optimism, ‘The ache and thunder in the storms of your mind / Soak it in, for the rain will pass in time’.

The track is beautifully mixed, shifting from clean, stripped back instrumentation and vocals, to turbulent moments of competition between singer, band, and an assortment of minor incursions that might as easily be found here as on one of Thom Yorke’s more acerbic releases. A chaotic melding of synth tones, overdriven guitar lines and distorted backing vocals provides a striking end to the track, and gives me confidence that King Krule’s upcoming release, Man Alive!, will be one to watch.

Man Alive! will be released 21st February, via XL Recordings.