King Tuff – King Tuff – Styrofoam Drone

KING TUFF comes back with his first full length LP since the initial release of Was Dead in 2008, with this now arguably being his biggest album to date. It’s simply called King Tuff and it was released by Sub Pop at the beginning of summer.

What’s left to say that hasn’t been said about this guy yet? The man crafts songs that many can only dream of, which is just one way you could prove that the guy is giving us everything he’s got all the time. His songs are always hook-heavy and full of glamorous little subtleties, all combining for a unique blend of rollicking power-pop that can be described best in one way – King Tuff. For his sophomore LP, King Tuff did exactly what he does best and ever since Was Dead, that’s pretty much all we’ve come to expect. Twelve glamorous and fully-realized pop-punk/rock tracks combine into one album with grandiose results, where each new track is a beast of its own kind.

All of these songs are just as different as the last, but there’s a handful that are definitely worth mentioning. One of the firsts would be “Unusual World” which is a song of its own ranging everything we’ve ever heard from King Tuff. It’s a curious number with a light and wobbly atmosphere, not to mention all of the innocence and delicate tendencies that truly makes this a song of its own. KT sings gently in this peculiar jam, which features some crucial subtleties like the shake of the tambourine and the fluffy keyboards that evoke that head-in-the-clouds feeling. Aside from a delicate track like this, we also encounter much more crude tracks like the pulsing “Stranger.” The song is centered around an undeniably dirty and ravaging guitar hook, which is by all means KT’s signature move.

On top of these tracks, there’s still a few of these one-of-a-kind standouts, whether it’s in the folksy “Baby Just Break,” “Evergreen,” or the touching “Swamp of Love.” Each one boasts their own special qualities, which eventually leaves us with plenty of no-rules rocking from the King himself. This includes the obvious hits, like “Alone & Stoned,” “Bad Thing” or “Hit & Run.” Album closer “Hit & Run” seems like the perfect way to wrap this all up, featuring a wave of ecstatic guitar licks that combine with the joyous pianos for a track that is surely worth a second spin all on its own.

Once the album is all wrapped up, it’s safe to say that King Tuff has done it again. Like I mentioned, the record is full of obvious hits, which means this takes some careful listening to get the full picture of everything else in between. Without doing that, you’re definitely going to miss something. Listen to these tracks below and you’ll be off to a good start.

My Rating: SS
Genre/ Tags: Pop, Glam, Garage Rock, Punk
King Tuff LP: Tracklist:
1.) Anthem
2.) Alone & Stoned
3.) Keep on Movin’
4.) Unusual World
5.) Bad Thing
6.) Loser’s Wall
7.) Stranger
8.) Baby Just Break
9.) Stupid Superstar
10.) Evergreen
11.) Swamp of Love
12.) Hit & Run