A Surplus Blank White Surface

King Krule “Neptune Estate”

“Neptune Estate” has a distinct feeling, and maybe you recognize it – lonely in the middle of the night, desperate for connection, lost in your head. It’s sexy too, and the lyrics about wanting to feel sexually used intensify that a bit, but also deepen the song’s melancholy feeling. There’s no separation of sex and self-loathing, and trauma just becomes some kind of turn-on. Which makes some sense, because for a lot of people true intimacy is letting someone else know exactly how messed up you are without being afraid.

The sexual and romantic side of “Neptune Estate” seems like a distraction; the main topic of the song is really depression, and living in fear of a totally numb emotional state in which “the brain lives on but the vibes are dead.” He just wants to feel something, to be intimate, to feel a little alive. That’s why he’s pleading with someone to stay with him one more night, that’s why he’s dwelling on things he know will make him miserable, that’s why he sounds so cynical when he asks “Can we lose our emotions and still live well?” The feelings may be too intense to handle, but it’s better than literally nothing.

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