It's been very fulfilling following Kurt Vile's career ever since I heard Childish Prodigy. Since then, Vile has done two contradicting things with his music and done them remarkably well, and that is to both quiet down his sound and still keep expanding it. While Childish Prodigy (my favorite of his releases) is a noise rock behemoth, the follow-up EP Square Shells was a perfect appetizer for what was to come, as Vile did away with fuzz and distortion and approached his songs with a cleaner sound.
Well, Wakin' On a Pretty Daze is the pinnacle of that sound so far; comprised of a layered, serene, and arguably psychedelic songs which sometimes clock in at around ten minutes. It's hard to say what the appeal is to the songs, but it might be the bittersweet lyrical content (such as on "Girl Called Alex") mixed with the aforementioned wall of quiet guitars and the sometimes perverse twist the songs take. Maybe it's the fact that obviously Vile works hard on his songwriting, and it shows. And if you're willing to put effort into absorbing the songs, they sneak up on you before you know it.
Finally, Vile has this skill for writing incredibly strong album closers. He did it for Childish Prodigy, Square Shells, and then again for this release. "Goldtone" is such a perfect way to encapsulate the sound of Wakin' on a Pretty Daze that it's probably worth the price of admission alone. Yet another release which ranks on top of my list this year.
Matador decided to do a deluxe version of this album and, since it's Matador, they did it right. This Graffiti Deluxe edition comes on double LP, beautiful blue vinyl, color gatefold, inserts, printed sleeves, and a download coupon. Also included is a sticker sheet with graffiti-like stickers you can stick to the cover and make your own cover. Though I'm sure very few people will actually use these stickers, it's a very unique and special touch to the deluxe version.
So, Matador does it again. This is Kurt Vile's most expansive release to date, and a joy to listen to on both sunny and rainy days. This vinyl edition is just the icing on top and a perfect sound experience. Get it!
Artist:
www.kurtvile.com/
www.myspace.com/kurtvileofphilly
www.facebook.com/kurtvileofphilly
www.twitter.com/therealkurtvile
Album:
The deluxe vinyl edition of Wakin' On A Pretty Daze is out now. Buy it here on Amazon .
