Philadelphia songsmith Kurt Vile will be in Portland at the Doug Fir Lounge on May 10, showcasing his fifth and strongest studio album “Wakin on a Pretty Daze,” acclaimed by many as 2013′s best thus far.
This new album provides a window into his comfortable, lonely universe. Yet, what makes it so fascinating is he doesn’t hold the listener’s hand while guiding them through his spacious mind. Discovering the deeper, melancholic meaning of his songs, shrouded beneath airy guitar riffs and sharp drums, is what makes this album amazing.
He began making his mark on the music scene in 2005 when he and Adam Granduciel founded the band The War on Drugs. The band released critically acclaimed album “Wagonwheel Blues,” and successfully toured across the U.S. and Europe. At the time, Vile was splitting his work with The War on Drugs and his solo projects until 2008, when he left the band fearing their growing success would waylay his solo career.
His departure didn’t drive a spike through the friendships of the band members, like it often does when one band member leaves in order to pursue a solo-career. Rather, the band remained close — some members even appear on parts of his solo albums; he occasionally makes special guest appearances at The War on Drugs shows.
Signing with Matador Records in 2011 and after the release of his fourth and most popular album, “A Smoke Ring for My Halo,” Vile has proven that while his work might not be stylistically innovative, he has mastered the ability to effortlessly produce introspective and melodic tracks. His solo works feature lo-fi productions, jagged drum rhythms, fuzzy live instrumentation and song writing influenced by the likes of Dinosaur Jr. and Bruce Springsteen.
“Wakin on a Pretty Day” takes off where its predecessor left off. He covers the listener in a wistful interplay of electric and acoustic guitar tones, wise yet mumbled lyrics and an overall emotional sense caught between regret of past events and whimsical content for life. In some ways, his puzzling pairing of sad lyricism with upbeat tones echoes works by Belle & Sebastian or Elliot Smith. Tracks like “Wakin on a Pretty Daze” and “Too Hard” reveal Vile’s escapism into his own head (and his music) in order to avoid the seriousness of everyday life. He hides the underlying gloom of these lyrics beneath melodies, which seem composed and even upbeat at times. In a sense, he puts on a happy face for his listeners while deep down struggling against some very serious personal issues. At times, he has a hard time articulating these pains, like in the song “Girl Called Alex,” where he quietly says “I wanna —” before being drowned out by a stinging guitar, which won’t let him finish his thought.
Vile crafts this album effortlessly, allowing his line in the song “Was All Talk” to ring poignantly: “Making music is easy, watch me.”
And there are people watching him. “Wakin on a Pretty Daze” has captivated popular music critics: The album received an 8.5/10 on Pitchfork (along with “Best New Music”) and was selected as Stereogum’s album of the week on April 9.