‘No I shan’t complain,’ concludes Kenny Anderson, aka King Creosote, in Blue Marbled Elm Trees, the second track of his latest release I DES, and neither will we, with this long-awaited album providing the comeback we were waiting for. Released earlier this month after a seven-year hiatus since King Creosote’s last LP, I DES shows time hasn’t withered Anderson’s willingness to adapt as he makes a return to the ambient. Drones, vibraphones, e-bows and samplers accompany his timeless poetic lyricism and rich vocal performances; perhaps the discarded album name contender ‘we all got synths for christmas’ might have been more fitting.
The more cryptic title Anderson opted for, however, is, aside from being a friendly tribute to Des Lawson, collaborator and co-producer of the record, perhaps a hint at the darker subject matter he seeks to explore in this new project. Any avid anagrammers amongst us will have noticed the title’s likeness to the word ‘Dies’, which, when paired with the roman numerals for 2023 on the front cover etched onto what looks like a gravestone, suggests we might not be in for the cheeriest of listens. If he was concerned about growing silver in his sideburns in Bats In The Attic, it seems I DES is preoccupied with what comes next. The record certainly has its bleaker moments, namely Dust with its organ accompaniment, making it almost something of a funeral song. On a good day, the organ might bring the likes of a wedding to mind, but it only takes Anderson singing the line ‘and yet one day you too will be dust’ for any visions of jolly celebrations turn to, well, dust, just like the rest of us. I think I’ve listened to this one too much; the morbid sentiment is catching. Drone in B# is another of the record’s darker moments. At 36 minutes and 34 seconds, maybe ‘moment’ is an understatement. What starts as just, well, a drone in B# becomes a moody orchestral soundscape which rounds the album off without the trusty comfort of Anderson’s voice.
But it’s not all doom and gloom, and far from being a depressing record, I DES, infused with calming vocals, pensive lyrics and diverse musical accompaniment, becomes a deeply affecting meditation on love, life and death. Once again, King Creosote refuses to be simplified and balances out the darker points of the record with moments of celebration and poignant contemplation. It’s a distinctly reflective record, and opener It’s Sin That’s Got It’s Hold Upon Us makes clear from the get-go that Anderson is interested in looking back; ‘The drugs only made me cry when I was having such a good time’, he contends. Anderson’s distinguishing voice is met with a chorus of drum beats and ethereal strings, which blend together to form an atmospheric soundscape, eventually drawing to a close as a recording of late pastor Phil Crowter delivering a sermon concludes the track. Anderson’s wasting no time here, one track down, and we’ve covered sin. Next on the agenda is death, and track two Blue Marbled Elm Trees covers this spectacularly. Creeping in with hypnotic drone and drums and building excitedly alongside Anderson’s vocals, Blue Marbled Elm Trees has an immediately important feel to it as it races towards the chorus, which explodes with a crescendo, and Anderson’s voice is joined by female vocals as they sing his moving words. The uplifting soundscape is met with darker subject matter as Anderson reflects on his death as if it has already happened, making for a deeply touching memoir of a life. Poignantly, he reflects, ‘I had the best time laughing with my girls’. Another of the record’s more emotive moments is the quietly stunning title track, Ides. Anderson’s vocals, vulnerable as the lyrics he sings, pierce through soft, dreamy piano to lull us into serene melancholia. A definite highlight of the record, Ides is a teary reminder of King Creosote’s power as a vocalist and lyricist.
Previously released double A-side single tracks, Walter De La Nightmare and Susie Mullen, make it onto the album. Walter De La Nightmare is KC in his element: contemplative lyrics and a stunning vocal performance woven together with a peacefully moving melody. Susie Mullen wakes us from the tranquillity of its surrounding tracks with a flurry of frenzied vocals and synths that revitalise the record with an excited electricity. Fans of this one can thank another important collaborator on the record, a toy camel souvenir Anderson bought in Egypt, which he claims makes a similar sound when you squeeze it.
As beautiful as it is bleak, I DES is perhaps the most human of King Creosote’s albums yet. As he reflects on love, loss, memory, the passing of time and inevitable demise, perhaps King Creosote is saying what, at some point or another, we’re all thinking. He just says it very nicely.