Will Kraus has been fêted by so many, including us, for setting up base camp and thriving on the overclocked edge of the sound since End Tomorrow in 2016. The epic and unforgettable Path LP in 2018 was a high watermark in tuneful noise and propulsion, the lead single “Bum” with its air raid sirens and bombast never quite concealing a twisted internalized warmth. It’s a duality that serves the creator and the listener, and keeps everyone guessing what comes next.
Part noise, part electronic, part gaze, all experimental… but not in any derogatory sense. Too often an artist will tag “experimental” to cover for the idea that ‘what you’re about to hear is inaccessible and offputting.’ The truly great artist will make the experimental accessible, grab your hand, and take you along a journey. That’s the path the one-man project Kraus has been hewing with great results, and earning much adulation along the way. One of the few great breakdowns Pitchfork has done for an experimental alternative artist, Kraus Makes Noise Rock for Anxious People, gives a really great snapshot of the artist and their process. And we’re not in the habit of praising Pitchfork for… well, anything. It’s a great companion read, however, and worth diving in.
But it’s been three bloody years, hasn’t it? From being a cornerstone artist on the Terrible Records roster to… quiet. Nobody expects quietness from Kraus, it’s just not in the sonic palette. It’s at this point we celebrate the forthcoming album, View No Country, due 22 October on a Terrible Records sub-imprint of the same name, and heralded by the first single, “Glass Valley”.
A brief guitar wipe breaks down into an impressive guitar landscape, warm and inviting vocals floating atop. The song ebbs and flows, verse to chorus to bridge. Power chords are undeniable, but occasionally breaking off into semi-still pools of melody, and that signature Kraus sound lights up your pleasure centers.
If anything, “Glass Valley” seems a touch more instantly accessible than the Kraus canon, but that’s to be expected for a lead single, and the first new music in three years. “I’m here, I’ve got this, glad you haven’t forgot,” it seems to imply. As the flag planted to represent forthcoming LP, it’s a great introduction for the uninitiated, and a most welcome return for the faithful. We’ve lived through 2020, and a global pandemic. Some quality catharsis from Kraus is probably well overdue.
Follow Kraus via Terrible Records, on Spotify, Facebook, and via… a private Instagram? Dunno, it’s Will Kraus’ world, we’re just living in it. Should be an incredible Fall return. Preorder View No Country here.
Post comments (0)