Everything from the first chord of the first song to the “creative name” of the album to the man’s bio, is all attitude.‚ ‚ Here’s a synopsis from his bio that succinctly depicts what I mean:
There’s a bunch of clowns all over the USA, all around the world, cluttering up the rock ‘n’ roll stage with studied talent and recycled tunes.
It goes on to proclaim that he, by contrast, is the real deal.‚ ‚ So there you go. Might turn some people off, but essentially he’s making a personal case for his own authenticity, which is obviously hard territory in which to debate.
Childish Prodigy was released by Matador on October 6th and represents the second album from Philadelphia guitarist/vocalist Kurt Vile. Kurt is backed by The Violators (2/3 of War on Drugs, the band with whom he used to play).‚ ‚ The album is another in the long line of recent lo fi mid-tempo rock recipes, however this comes with a psychedelic twist.‚ The vocals have a submerged echoing resonance while the melody is drenched in reverb.‚ These characteristics are prominently displayed immediately on the pounding first track, “Hunchback.”‚ The melody is mostly a simplistic three-chord structure and the vocals seem part Jarvis Cocker mixed with the venomous lyrical wit of Paul Westerberg.
At times this album haunts, at times it rocks, but regardless it’s going to sound familiar if you’re a fan of War on Drugs.‚ There are some healthy departures, like the fantastic “Blackberry Song,” which pairs some simple, and yet wonderful, guitar picking with really strong vocals.‚ It’s a track that will quickly make you fan of this guy, even if there’s a trace of pretension in his outward appearance.
Kurt Vile – Hunchback (via StereoGum)
