King Krule – “(Don’t Let The Dragon) Draag On”

King Krule – “(Don’t Let The Dragon) Draag On”

Near the end of last year, Archy Marshall, the young British enigma who records under the name King Krule, dropped a video called Hey World! In that 16-minute clip, Marshall performed four new songs. That video seemed to portend something, and now we know what that thing is. Next month, Marshall will release Man Alive!, his follow-up to the rapturously received 2017 LP The Ooz. Today, Marshall shares the video for its first single.

If you watched that Hey World! video, then you’ve already heard and acoustic take on “(Don’t Let The Dragon) Draag On,” the first single from Man Alive!. In the studio version, Marshall mutters dissolutely about medication and alienation over a spaced-out groove and a gasping sample. It’s our first preview of Man Alive!, an album that Marshall recorded with regular co-producer Dillip Harris. Marshall played almost all the instruments himself, and he found out midway through recording that he was about to become a father. All four songs from the Hey World! video appear on the album.

Marshall directed his own video for “(Don’t Let The Dragon) Draag On,” and it’s his first time attempting that task himself. More than the song, the video is a big-statement moment. It’s filmed in deep, high-contrast black-and-white, and it’s a single shot that opens with a tight close-up on Marshall’s eyeball, which reflects a fire close by. The camera slowly zooms out, and you’ll probably guess the reveal before it happens, but I’m not going to spoil it here.

Along with the impending album release, King Krule has also announced a tour that’ll take him across Europe and North America this spring. Below, check out the “(Don’t Let The Dragon) Draag On” video, the Man Alive! tracklist, and the King Krule touring itinerary.

TRACKLIST:
01 “Cellular”
02 “Supermarché”
03 “Stoned Again”
04 “Comet Face”
05 “The Dream”
06 “Perfecto Miserable”
07 “Alone, Omen 3″
08 “Slinky”
09 “Airport Antenatal Airplane”
10 “(Don’t Let The Dragon) Draag On”
11 “Theme For The Cross”
12 “Underclass”
13 “Energy Fleets”
14 “Please Complete Thee”

TOUR DATES:
3/03 – Brussels, Belgium @ A.B
3/04 – Paris, France @ L’Olympia
3/05 – Amsterdam, Netherlands @ Melkweg
3/07 – Copenhagen, Denmark @ K.B Hallen
3/08 – Berlin, Germany @ Columbiahalle
3/19 – Dublin, Ireland @ Olympia
3/21 – Glasgow, UK @ Barrowland
3/22 – Manchester, UK @ Albert Hall
3/24-25 – London, UK @ O2 Academy Brixton
4/02 – Dallas, TX @ House of Blues
4/03 – Houston, TX @ White Oak Music Hall
4/04 – Austin, TX @ Stubbs Waller Creek
4/07 – Los Angeles, CA @ Hollywood Palladium
4/08 – Oakland, CA @ Fox Theatre
4/10 – Seattle, WA @ Showbox Sodo
4/11 – Portland, OR @ Roseland Theatre
4/14 – Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue
4/15 – Chicago, IL @ Riviera Theatre
4/17 – Toronto, ON @ Queen Elizabeth Theatre
4/18 – Montreal, QC @ Mtelus
4/19 – Boston, MA @ House of Blues
4/21 – Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer
4/22 – Washington, DC @ 9.30 Club
4/24 – Brooklyn, NY @ Kings Theatre

Man Alive! is out 2/21 on True Panther/Matador.

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