Song of the Day: Ulrika Spacek - Full of Men

Every Monday through Friday, we deliver a different song as part of our Song of the day podcast subscription. This podcast features exclusive KEXP in-studio performances, unreleased songs, and recordings from independent artists that our DJ’s think you should hear. Today’s song, featured on The Morning Show with John Richards, is “Full of Men” by Ulrika Spacek, from their 2017 sophomore album, Modern English Decoration, out now on Tough Love Records.

Ulrika Spacek - Full of Men (MP3)London-based five-piece Ulrika Spacek occupy a space in the psych rock quilt as an abstract patch that's stitched with hazy patterns and acid-washed with harmonically shoegaze-y textures. It's barely been a year after their debut 2016 full-length, The Album Paranola, and the crew have already managed to dovetail their sophomore LP, Modern English Decoration, into their twenty-some-song catalogue. Having knowing each other and collaboratively written music over fourteen years, but only three years as Ulrika Spacek, co-founders Rhys Edwards (lead vocals, guitar) and Rhys Williams (guitar) have embraced a dissonantly stylized approach of being aurally acidic around the edges. To codify a sense of cohesion, they've even brought past collaborators Joseph Stone (guitar, keyboards) and Ben White (bass) into the fold while also picking up their straight-no-chaser timekeeper Callum Brown.

Along those lines, although "Full of Men" clocks in at four and half minutes, musically it's a to-the-point ditty that quickly finds its resting-heart-rate speed and distortedly drives with the windows down, letting out the smoke, on cruise control. Modern English Decoration's seventh track, "Full of Men", seems intentionally minimal, even meditative in a way that allows you to get immersed in the song without disengaging detours. You can definitely hear some of their shoegaze-y worship and acidic pathos emerge as the song evolves with a bouncy two-string guitar riff and bass line that act as an additional percussive pulse to Callum's already no frills beat. A creation like "Full of Men" is equal parts psychedelia DNA and bona fide enjoyment of noise.

Ulrika Spacek is currently on tour and have a ton of shows all across Europe but nothing yet in the U.S. For now, discover more of their music on their website and on their Facebook page. You can also sneak a listen to "Mimi Pretend", the opening track of Modern English Decoration, in the video below.