After a four year stint of silence, Kyle Thomas, better known as King Tuff, returns with his latest album The Other set for release April 13 via Sub Pop Records.
The cult-garage rocker wandered slightly off the path from his 2014 sound with his forthcoming release. He created some distance between the frantic, ominous guitars and Dionysian spirit on his previous Black Moon Spell (2014). The self-produced The Other reveals a more reflective, spiritual side to Thomas’s sound.
Let’s not forget to mention some heavy-hitting collabs on the record. There are notable appearances from names like Jenny Lewis (Rilo Kiley), Greta Morgan (The Hush Sound), and Ty Segall. Consequently, The Other serves as a symbol of exploration for Thomas as he dives further into his identity as King Tuff. Sub Pop’s press release for the new record quotes Thomas as he justifies this evolution:
“When I started doing this as a teenager, it was whatever I wanted it to be. King Tuff was never supposed to be just one thing. It was supposed to be everything.” The leading single “Psycho Star” and its music video are but a preview of what “everything” really means to the Vermont native.
“Psycho Star,” to pull from its lyrics, is a “beautifully bizarre” track. It buzzes with warmth at the vibration of its fuzzy bass lines, steady, muffled beat, and grooving guitar licks.
Watch below as King Tuff juxtaposes his colorful universe against that of a typical suburban neighborhood square. It’s through what could be the lens of a 90’s era camcorder that a seemingly simple scene quickly becomes a cast of interchanging suspects. From the lyrics to the subtitles, odds are you’ll finish this video with suspicion to the point of Orwellian paranoia.
Check out the video directed by Cameron Dutra below.
What’d you think of King Tuff’s new video for single, “Psycho Star”? Let us know what you thought in the comments section below. Get to know King Tuff on a more personal level by following his Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
