Philadelphia’s Kurt Vile has been compared to Bruce Springsteen, Bob Seger and Tom Petty. Vile’s latest release on Matador Records, Smoke Ring for My Halo, is the first thing I heard from this guy; probably not a good place to start.
According to Wikipedia, Kim Gordon of Sonic Youth describes having a raging hard-on for this guy’s first album, Childish Prodigy, which makes sense because it sounds just like Sonic Youth. It’s a little druggy, a little garage-y, and post-grunge. I understand that music works the same way as visual arts: a particular style becomes the contemporary dialog (referred to in academia as “movements” and “isms”) and eventually becomes part of the chronological canon of history. Right now, in the world of music, example being the recent Bruise Cruise from Miami to Nassau, garage is in. From what it looks like to me, this guy Vile picked up a guitar and was pretty good at making that particular kind of music, so he rose to fame and got some notoriety, and now he can’t back it up a couple years later.
On the new album, the first song, Baby’s Arms, plays like macaroni and cheese (the forerunner in the world of bland). Second song, Jesus Fever, offers a vapid cellphone advertisement melody. This album leaves me recalling the latest album from the moderately successful band, The Walkmen, and if you haven’t heard that yet, don’t waste your time either.
1. Baby’s Arms
2. Jesus Fever
3. Puppet To the Man
4. On Tour
5. Society is My Friend
6. Runner Ups
7. In My Time
8. Peeping Tomboy
9. Smoke Ring For My Halo
10. Ghost Town
by Orlando Estrada
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