King Woman – ‘Doubt’ EP

One of the most beautiful things about music is that it can capture the feeling of many things, and when you hear a certain sound it can spark images in your mind. Music can feel the same as a season, can sound like a colour, and can even bring forth almost any emotion. If ‘Doubt’ by King Woman were a season it would be the dead of Winter, painted black and grey, playing the soundtrack to despair. Led by one-time Whirr front woman Kristina Esfandiari, and the creative mind behind Miserable, King Woman play bleak, doom-laden rock, and ‘Doubt’ sees them move into a more expansive, full band territory following a series of more stripped back releases, performed largely by Esfandiari on her own.

The slow, droning intro of ‘Wrong’ commands your attention instantly and sets the blackened tone for the next 20 minutes as Kristina Esfandiari’s vocal swoons over the low-end rumble of distortion with harrowing intensity, like an amalgamation of PJ Harvey and Sunno)). This leads into the monolithic ‘King Of Swords’, which much like the stern and forceful nature of its tarot card namesake becomes a powerful figure of authority in its own right. The brooding eloquence of “love’s gone” echoing throughout is suffocating, and makes everything you think is good in the world feel insignificant as it falls into the darkness around you.

By the time you reach ‘Burn’ you are fully immersed in the wretched world of King Woman. There are elements of Black Sabbath-esque riffs through a desolate funnel of noise, leading to the cadence of Esfandiari’s haunting vocal that fades into the abyss. The crushing ‘Candescent Soul’ signals the end of the hypnotic journey ‘Doubt’ takes you on, leaving you drained and aching as it slowly burns away.

While the EP very much concentrates on the negative aspects of love, religion, and heartache, it still remains inviting. There is no light here, and it is often an agonising listen as there is no escaping the sadness that seeps into your pores while absorbing ‘Doubt’, but those who understand it will find comfort in this sentiment. The best music is often born out of despair, and can be cathartic for both the artist and listener alike, and this is no exception because with ‘Doubt’, King Woman have created a melancholic work of art.

GLEN BUSHELL