"I've got a hunchback, big as a humpback whale"
Bedroom pop that is humble and scuzzy yet expansive, panoramic. Like Robert Pollard, Vile takes ordinary images and explodes them into epic, fantastical proportions. It's simple and a little whimsical, but not the fey whimsy endemic to thin-wristed singer songwriters. It's psychedelic without constantly referring back to the Nuggets fakebook. And yeah, you could compare it to Tom Petty or Springsteen, except minus the Dylan worship or overreaching grandeur. As silly as the above lyric is, it's not just a toss off. It reflects the lumbering and menacing tone of the song, while also being a handy metaphor for being ostracized. Looking at the covers of the Hunchback EP, Constant Hitmaker, or excellent new album Childish Prodigy, you get the sense of booth cool detachment and a hint of loneliness. But not the loneliness of a twee popper always pining away for his femme fetale. More of a precocious loner who always looks cool and a little menacing at your parties, but is actually quite funny with a couple of beers in him.
"I've got a trumpet, I know where to dump it"
Vile knows when to stick with a nonsensical lyric when it fits so perfectly with the rhythm of the song. He's having fun for sure, and wants you to laugh a little bit. Not unlike Malkmus with his nonsequitors, it adds levity and charm to what is ostensibly, another song about being alone. You think it's all head in the clouds until later in the song he sings:
"There was a kid in the trees among the birds and the bees
between beehives and bird's nests and I think you know the rest
he wanted to be free with them, but they weren't believing
pecking and stinging him till he wasn't breathing."
Which is just one of many sly turns and unexpected surprises of his records. I could go on, but I don't want to spoil them. Suffice to say I haven't heard a voice or songwriting style like Vile's in a while. And in the context of the lo-fi resurgence (or what-have-you) he stands apart from the crowd.
And what about the music? Well, at times he's a slow burner. He's not afraid to kick out a long scuzzy jamout, but he's usually more comfortable singing over bluesy acoustic guitar, accompanied by tape hiss and whatever is lying around. The music takes it's time, laying down a perfect backdrop for Vile to get into his groove. Because of this, his voice and music always sound perfectly in sync.
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Credit him as well for being a "lo-fi" act whose recording aesthetic compliments his songwriting (rather than carrying it, or hindering it, say). It's paragon of using the studio as the ultimate instrument, whether the studio is Abbey Road, Le Chateau, or Kurt Vile's garage.
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely. All of the instruments bleed together instead of just being mashed together, and it creates a deep sound, one where things leap out everyonce in a while. Much more dynamic and varied production than the 'through it all in the red'tape saturation of his peers. Woods also pulls that off fairly well I should add. Although I think Kurt has a stronger voice and vision (for lack of a better word) than the dudes in Woods. This is all to say he is a genius for sure.
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