In a bygone era on a song called “A Stranger’s Chest” Lucy Kruger sang the words “can you teach me how to shout” and now, weeks ahead of the release of Heaving, she’s learnt how in the album’s latest single “Howl”.
Back then her request was defeated, collapsing from exhaustion. Now her howls are visceral, the words “you’re beautiful/ I wanna be useful” cutting through the air with profound imperfection, a roar coming into its own.
Touted as the centre-piece of Heaving, “Howl” exists as a bridge between timid past and loud future. Uncertainty exists in stuttering, stammering “tech-tech-tech” technicalities and admissions of existential neutrality while the threat of regret inspires the pursuit of dizzying “possibility” and “potentiality”.
All the while guitars screech and growl and bass-lines drone with hypnotic steadiness, menacing, as lyrics flash and bleed on and off screen while Kruger, on another world in her Sunday dress, stares back impassively, defiantly.
More so than its predecessors, “Howl” marks a significant shift in attitude from Lucy Kruger. It’s a statement that loudly steps away from apprehension and doubt and embraces authentic, perfectly imperfect humanity.
Feature pic courtesy of Francis Broek / DTAN
