ALBUM REVIEW: LAMB – King Nun

For their second full-length album, London-based KING NUN are delving deep into themes of existentialism, investigating the human experience and confronting fears and anxiety head-on. In their most honest release yet, they aim to find strength in vulnerability, and explore how to stay true to yourself in difficult times rather than masking and detaching from the problem. Produced by drummer Caius Stockley-Young, LAMB sees the band incorporate elements of brit-pop and grunge into their classic indie-punk sound. Ahead of their tour supporting NOTHING BUT THIEVES, KING NUN’s newest album attempts to define who they are, and make their impact in the UK indie-punk scene.

Opening with Golden Age, the album is instantly likable, with punchy vocals and aggressive guitars. While the sound is accessible and easy to listen to, there are some undeniable punk influences that work really well. Packing a punch in less than three minutes, there is a clear message running through the song, and it builds really well towards the end. Next is Selfish, and vocalist Theo Polyzoides voice becomes really likable. With a catchy chorus and well-written verses, the honesty and vulnerability that was promised with the album starts to come through. With an underlying old-school emo sound, it’s the subtle influences of other genres that make these songs really memorable and unique.

While the real depth of this album is fairly restrained at first, this ends with songs like Do You Know Where You Are? and Sinking Feeling, which are existential and bleak, but raise necessary questions. The lyrics are authentic without trying to make huge, overarching statements, which works really well. The brit-pop feeling is heavy in these ones, and they really capture some of the issues in modern British society in a way that feels nostalgic and current all at once.

As the album progresses, the songs become increasingly vulnerable, and OCD is an example of this. As the lyrics become more panicked, the distorted sound reflects this, capturing the uncertainty and unease really well. Perhaps the most sincere song on the album is But We Live On The Beach, a metaphor for a party and the drinking culture that feels impossible to escape. The song acknowledges substance abuse issues, and accepts when to walk away but not knowing how. Calling out the way men are often discouraged from talking about their feelings, it ends up being a deeply vulnerable and frustrated song, and really feels like they are making a whole, developed statement.

In Vains is a highlight of the album, with beautiful, controlled vocals and overly-emotional lyrics that bring a more nuanced conversation to a pretty clear message. Breaking everything up is Escapism, an aptly-named instrumental with dark, heavy drums and aggressive, fast guitars, which is perfect for drowning out any thoughts. Ending LAMB is its title track, a much lighter, gentler song which blends a content feeling with a certain level of bleakness.

Altogether, LAMB is a memorable album, and is very reminiscent of early 2000s brit-pop, with some definite punk influences. Whether you want to switch off and listen to an upbeat indie rock album, or ponder on the political state of the world, this album does both, and KING NUN have certainly made an impact one way or another.

Rating: 8/10

LAMB is out now via Marshall Records.

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