Kurt Vile released three solo albums before breaking through in 2011 with
Smoke Ring for My Halo
. And the former War on Drugs guitarist has now apparently hit his creative stride in magnificent form. The momentum continues apace on this collection of gorgeously warm indie-rock songs that shuffle, strum, soothe and occasionally snap with a dreamy effervescence. The long instrumental passages on the Tom Petty- esque title track and
Too Hard
are satisfying rather than nerve- frayingly indulgent, while Vile's chameleon-like persona – from lapsteel-laced Americana to the psychedelic Lou Reed-like drawl of
Girl Called Alex
and the wacky synth buzz of
Air Bud
– keeps things fresh throughout. Despite a tracklisting with several that more than eight minutes long, this is a rare beast: a rock album that is quietly inventive without its protagonist showboating.
Kurtvile. com
Download:
Was All Talk, Never Run Away