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A&E, Jacob Baumann

‘Wakin on a Pretty Daze’ proves to be Kurt Vile’s Best

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By Jacob Baumann                                                                                       

Kurt Vile’s latest LP has been a breath of fresh air for the ever so stale music scene.  Vile is a singer songwriter form Philly, and may have a future classic on his hands with Wakin on a Pretty Daze.

Kurt Vile has a completely original style from his physical appearance to his musical styling.  Much like his appearance, the tracks on this album are laid back and taking their time to reveal all that they can.

The opening track Wakin on a Pretty Day exemplifies his laid back manner, and clocks in at nine minutes.  Although some might say that Vile is just rehashing older music, but to that I say, every group does.  Musicians create music based on their record collections, because that is what influences them.

In the music scene today there are many artists making attempts to replicate older music with a modern twist, but Kurt does it in a way that is quite beautiful.  Even though we live in a generation built on hipsters, Instagram, and Twitter, sometimes artists lure people in with the hopes of being like older groups and then failing to deliver…. cough, cough Mumford and Sons.

In this album, Vile has taken the good parts of his past LPs and has made one heck of an offering with this album.  I honestly had never heard of Kurt Vile until this album, and the only reason I found out about him is when I made a trip to a music store on Record Store Day.  While I was there, some random guy recommended I purchase album and I am very glad I bumped into that guy.

Apparently, his last record, Smoke Ring for My Halo, was not so good.  The vocal and lyrical styles were nearly the same as this LP, but the music accompanying him was pretty awful.  In the two years since, Kurt seems to have realized the issue from his last album and has made the proper alterations.

When it comes to vocals on this album, I recalled artist like Tom Petty and Iggy Pop.  Kurt’s vocals were not all that impressive, but were very relaxed and had a Lou Reed vibe to them.  Sometimes his vocals went a tad flat, but they showed no signs of being altered or auto-tuned.

The sheer musicality on this album is astonishing, and the sound quality really comes to the aide of the instrumentations.  The guitars were not played like the instrument was about to be cut in half, rather played quite relaxed and beautifully.  The guitars, bass, and drums are vibrant and just lock in on every track of this 11 track album, some better than others.

With an average song length of seven minutes, you would think it would be quite easy to lose interest, but that’s not the case.  The psychedelic/indie rock that he brings to the table just takes you away.  The guitars are often howling out beautiful rifts and ambiguous chord changes are spread evenly through out Wakin on a Pretty Daze.

After I hear a song on this album, I picture myself relaxing in the summer sun.  Some of the songs deal with his personal struggles and also what he goes through when creating a record.  He brings some great philosophical ideas about life in this LP, and it is great to see a young individual straying away from the top songs on Spotify or the radio.

With Kurt Vile brings to the table on this album, I believe he has a very bright future.  Each album he makes is better than the last, so I hope he continues that pattern in his future musical ventures.

Wakin on a Pretty Daze     9/10

Run Time 70 minutes  (11 tracks)

Release Date: April 9, 2013

A&E

Madonna remains relevant with MDNA

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By Jared Murray

Madonna’s twelth studio album may not be what everyone expects from the 53-year-old material girl. After delving into every genre of pop one could think, MDNA finds Madonna fully committed to the genre of danceable synth-pop, like her 2005 release Confessions on a Dance Floor. Despite this sonic territory being occupied by much younger, more relevant pop stars, the queen of pop manages to sound just as youthful as her competition, while adding the wisdom of a pop music veteran.

MDNA wastes no time getting into club mode; album opener “Girl Gone Wild” opens with a spoken word verse where Madonna speaks of regretting her sins, all backed by synthetic strings. Once finished, the song morphs into a throbbing, synth-heavy anthem calling out to girls to have some fun in the club. The lyrics may not be stimulating, but the music more than makes up for it.

Sadly, the bulk of the album rarely strays from any combination of characteristics found in “Girl Gone Wild”: playful bass lines, cliché lyrics and sedated vocals are the foundation of the album. However, Madonna and her producers are smart enough to know when this gets to repetitive; for every trite verse she sings there is an equally exciting synth flourish or guest verse; for every repetitive chorus, an interesting break down or middle eight verse comes to save the track from becoming monotonous.

Lyrically, however, the album falls short on multiple levels. One would think that after multiple decades in the business, Madonna could pen more stimulating or original lyrics. There are moments where her lyrics do shine, such as track “Falling Free” and the spoken verse found in “Girl Gone Wild,” but the majority of the tracks are subject to overdone and even reductive lyrics about love. It seems though that the material girl is more concerned with getting back into the game rather than reinventing it as she has done so many times before.

In spite of this, the final two tracks of the album are where Madonna really shines, lyrically and sonically. The first song, entitled “Masterpiece,” is a somber, midi-tempo ballad about being in love with a seemingly perfect person you can only look at. The minimalist production serves as the perfect contrast to the first part of the album, and makes the track both refreshing and enjoyable. Album closer “Falling Free” is another mid-tempo track full of refined string accents and vocal harmonies. Madonna’s vocals are light and pristine, and the lyrics are an age appropriate take on a relationship that just didn’t work. Both “Falling Free” and “Masterpiece” add much needed lyrical and emotional maturity to the album, and prevent it from becoming a generic pop album.

While not as revolutionary as one would hope, MDNA is most definitely a solid effort from an icon who certainly knows how to stay relevant.

Download: “Girl Gone Wild” “Gang Bang” “Masterpiece” “Falling Free”