Friday, 4 April 2014

Recent Additions 8 : Kurt Vile : Wakin on a Pretty Daze

Kurt Vile and the Violators, one of those names that seems to me to immediately type cast a band and restrict its potential audience.  That is ok if your name and your target audience align but it always seems a shame when that is not necessarily the case.  I think that is the case with Kurt Vile, his music seems to me closer to the early 70's stoner generation than what I would expect from the name.

I first came across Kurt Vile in 2008 as the guitarist on The War On Drugs excellent debut Wagonwheel Blues.  I then bought and enjoyed his more recent Smoke Ring Around My Halo


His latest album Wakin on a Pretty Daze and its accompanying EP It's a big world out there (and I'm Scared) have been widely (and wildly?) praised.  I enjoy both - once I remember to not expect the aggressive guitars and snarled lyrics his name suggests.  Instead what you get is a dreamy soundscape that almost brings the smell of dope with it.  It insinuates itself and soon you recognise just how good Kurt is.

Check this out as a sample - the almost title track Wakin' on a Pretty Day.  I suggest you listen 3 or 4 times. 

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