I don’t think that this has been a bad year for music by any means, It’s just that none of the releases I’ve been listening to have been catching my attention like they did last year. It’s strange – 2013 had the same apparent stagnation to it but, of course, that doesn’t mean 2015 hasn’t had its noteworthy releases (some of which we’ve covered on this Vinyl Vlog). While I ponder this, of course Kurt Vile drops a new album and makes this musical year suck a little less.??I love Kurt Vile for many reasons: his Philly-ness, his unique style and the fact that he’s releasing the best music of his life right now are just a few. The beauty and impact of his previous album, Wakin’ on a Pretty Daze, cannot be denied and it might actually be his opus; but his new release B’lieve I’m Goin’Down has stepped up to the challenge of meeting or even exceeding its predecessor. And I mean that, because B’lieve has a lot to live up to.
First, let me share a secret with you: the trick to listening to Kurt Vile is that even though he has definitely carved out a style for himself, you can never pin down a Kurt Vile song until you’ve heard it, you should expect various what-the-fuck moments, and you need to get a few songs into an album before it hits you. If you keep that in mind, there is much to enjoy in
B’lieve: the trademark Kurt Vile guitar noodling, the haunting vocals, the lyrics about alienation and feeling like an outsider, and the sweet trance-like numbers that penetrate to the point where your awareness of your environment changes.
I’ll let you in on another secret: you’re in good hands with Matador vinyl. Even with standard releases like this one; it comes equipped with a gatefold sleeve, double LP and a download coupon. Nice and neat.
B’lieve has some trouble getting off the ground but, once it does (cued by “That’s Life, Tho”), it gels as one of the best albums of the year. Do it for Philly.
Artist:
www.kurtvile.com/
www.facebook.com/kurtvileofphilly/
www.twitter.com/therealkurtvile
Album:
B’lieve I’m Goin’ Down is out now. Buy it here on Amazon .
