Enigmatic polymath Keaton Henson has shared his critically acclaimed ninth studio album, ‘Parader’, his first since 2024’s Somnambulant Cycles. To mark this highly anticipated release, Henson also shared a grunge-tinged, self-reflective new single titled “Operator.” While his previous single, “Lazy Magician,” hinted at him beginning to shed the “quiet boy” persona that has defined much of his career, ‘Parader’ sees Henson fully embracing the heavier, grunge-infused sounds of his youth. This shift was previously evident on his single “Insomnia,” where he entwined aching self-observation with a defiant sound he terms as “musical snark.”
Today’s new single, “Operator,” is a Slow Pulp-esque track that sees Henson grappling with questions of autonomy amidst heavy, soaring guitars as he confronts his relationship with self-loathing. It is arguably one of the album’s most overtly loud tracks, combining thick distortion-led riffs that build into the rhythmic chorus where he sings, “I don’t wanna make do / I don’t wanna hate you / But I do.” Speaking on the single, Henson shared: “It is a song about the id and self-loathing, it is an apology letter to me for how much I hate myself sometimes. The ‘operator’ can be tied to the ‘parader’ of the album title, a part of yourself outside of your control, either the part you wish you could conquer and change, or just a version of yourself that is perceived by others, I wish I wasn’t always this guy basically, but I’m apologising to him for feeling that way.”
To piece ‘Parader’ together, Henson collaborated with a wealth of talent who could harness these heavier influences and bring them into the light. Production duties were split between Luke Sital-Singh, who grew up in a similar area at a similar time as Henson, and Alex Farrar, whom Henson refers to as “the king of that loud, snarky American DIY sound.” The intimately tender track “Furl” also found a first-time co-writer in his wife, artist and musician Danielle Fricke, while the earlier mentioned “Lazy Magician” was co-written with Ratboys’ Julia Steiner. Henson explained that Steiner’s voice is highly evocative of the sound he loved back then, reminding him of Rilo Kiley.
The album finds Henson, now thirty-seven years old, coming somewhat full circle with apparitions of his younger self—the teenager catching American punk bands in the suburbs of London. He explains that the record is definitely pulling from the things he listened to when he was young, but those influences are being spat out through the lens of him and his career now. Under the weight of this poignant introspection, ‘Parader’ has legitimate confidence, with Henson noting, “I think it’s just me accepting that part of me is this. It’s louder and brasher, but not from a performative point of view. Maybe I’m just accepting that that is all part of me as well.”