In writing his latest album, Kurt Vile told Rolling Stone he spent most of his waking hours on his living room couch, basking in the stillness of the night after his family had drifted off to sleep.
“I wanted to get back into the habit of writing a sad song on my couch, with nobody waiting on me,” he said. “I really wanted it to sound like it’s on my couch — not in a lo-fi way, just more unguarded and vulnerable.”
In his upcoming release, b’lieve I’m goin down…, it seems this nighttime musing has propped Vile up to the status of a somewhat modern-day prophet.
His late-night living room ramblings portray a goofy yet approachable side, while the lessons he has for listeners are more profound than ever before. Vile proves a couch stoner actually has a few things to say.
His melancholic “rock” music has always been a little out of place, not that it’s a bad thing. But now that he’s set to release his sixth studio album, Vile shows his smoked-up musings are far too intriguing to be categorized anyway.
As with other albums, Vile’s storytelling capability is the highlight of his new release. At 35, he has an obvious penchant for wisdom, the kind that wistfully romanticizes reality.
In b’lieve I’m goin down…, he seems to have reached a point in his life where doling out advice comes naturally. In “Life Like This,” he sings, “Wanna live, live a life like mine / well I been doin’ it, baby all the time / to do so you gotta roll with the punches.”
In his first project since 2013, Vile is back with a seemingly effortless production that hints at some of the punches he’s weathered. He probes deeper and less well-lit avenues of the life he’s lived than anything he’s done before.
Not putting away his guitar until the break of dawn had a noticeable influence on the album. While previous albums took noticeable inspiration from the morning light, especially Wakin on a Pretty Daze, Vile’s younger side seems to fade away. He’s entered a new phase in which all he knows is to “give it some time,” as he preaches in the album’s standout final track, “Wild Imagination.”
Throughout the album, Vile tends to focus his observations more on himself than his environment. In one of his best tracks, “Pretty Pimpin,” Vile sets forth the the tone for the rest of the album, describing a seemingly existential conundrum. He croons, “I woke up this morning / didn’t recognize the man in the mirror.”
For fans, Vile’s strong lyricism and signature strumming won’t disappoint. And for those lost in their minds, let Kurt take you on a trip down some avenues less traveled. You might end up where you need to be.
