Kurt Vile: Freeway in mind
+%#&"/(!)+0+%8#*(/(*>;#!'(#,"%8#<"%/(K,#)%#)0+(%#-"*0&# "7#,!)*@#&(!)<'(&%(,,;#&(/"+&#"7#45"!+&+)%#<"%<(*%,9# Woody Guthrie’s guitar carried the line “This machine kills 7),<+,!,3i#^5*!#a+0(I,#<"50&#(),+0K#*()&#E='+,#.)<'+%(#>()*,# !*)/(0(*,9i V"*#)00#+!,#6"-(*#!"#65,'#!'(#+%&+/+&5)0#7*".#7).+0+)*# 60)<(,;#a+0(I,#.5,+<#<"%!)+%,#)%#5%.+,!)@)>0(#-)*.!'#)%&# +%-)*&#*(2(<!+"%9#b%#'+,#.",!#*(<(%!#Smoke Ring For My Halo#cP\``d;#!'(#(<'"+%8#<'+*6,#"7#EM)>KI,#?*.,i#,6+%#)# ,'+..(*+%8#6*"!(<!+/(#>"-(*;#)#$!!+%8#)<<".6)%+.(%!#!"# )#0"/(#,"%8#"7#)00(/+)!+%8#*(!*()!9#X()&+%8#75*!'(*#+%!"#+!,# &*().K#*(<(,,(,;#"6+"+&#7(.)0(#/"<)0,#65%<!5)!(#!'(#(%&# with a sleepy sigh, the last periods in a softly murmuring ellipsis. Tracks like “Blackberry Song” off of 2009’s Childish Prodigy#<)**K#)#<(*!)+%#@+%&%(,,#"7#<"%/+<!+"%;# tacitly dismissing rhetorical bite for greener pastures of !*)%<(S+%&5<+%8#$%8(*6+<@(&#0""6,9#='(#<0+%<'(*#+,#!')!# !'(,(#,"%8,#*(.)+%#5%6+%%(&3#0)K(*,#.)K#%"!#,6()@#0"5&(*# than words, but they do beckon, calling listeners to project !'(.,(0/(,#"%!"#!'(#.5,+<#+%#-)K,#!')!#,"%8,#-+!'#$00(&# agendas simply cannot.
?!#!'(#>)<@#"7#+!#)00#0+(,#)#,(<"%&)*K#&)*@%(,,#!')!#8+/(,# ')5%!+%8#-(+8'!#!"#"!'(*-+,(#,6)*@0+%8#!5%(,9#?-),'# in steel strings, title track “Smoke Ring For My Halo” plays like a late summer night, looking out into the humid ?#.5,+<)0#<)*((*#<)%#>(#)#/(*K#+%/),+/(#!'+%89#D*"."!+"%# blackness from some porch to admire the nocturnal is an endless battle of personal branding and stepping ')](#!')!#,5%,'+%(#-+00#%"!#)00"-9#a+0(I,#/"+<(#<"%F5*(,# "5!,+&(#"7#"%(,(07#!"#<"%%(<!#-+!'#)#8*()!(*#)5&+(%<(3# "!'(*-"*0&K#,6(<!(*,#-+!'#,0)<@(*#6*"-(,,;#(/"<)!+"%,# *(<"*&#0)>(0,#')/(#!'(#6"-(*#!"#.(&+)!(#!'(#)*!+,!I,#.",!# "7#E)%8(0#&(."%#'5.)%i#/)%+,'+%8#-+!'#!'(#5%<(*!)+%!K# intimate and honest material in the name of prosperity. "7#6(*+6'(*)0#/+,+"%9#V*".#!'(#,).(#)0>5.;#!'(#&(<+&(&0K# It is in light of this potential struggle that the music of forlorn “Runner Ups” is too sour to be soothing, while the ^5*!#a+0(#,5*6),,(,#!'(#!K6+<)0#.(*+!,#"7#<"..(*<+)0# singular minor musings of “Slow Talkers” (2008) lay down )<<".60+,'.(%!;#.)+%!)+%+%8#)%#+%!*",6(<!+/(#*+<'%(,,# ,)/"*K#&+,&)+%#-+!'#!'(#.+0&#.+,)%!'*"6+<#&+,,"%)%<(#"7#)# !')!#,+%8,#!'(#/+*!5(,#"7#7*((&".#)%&#<"%!(.60)!+"%#!')!# drunk man in his candlelit chamber. Meditation is perhaps might otherwise be swept under the rug of rigorous touring a+0(I,#,6(<+)0!K;#>5!#'(#+,#%"!#<"%$%(&#!"#+!9 )%&#.(&+)#(%&"*,(.(%!9#H%#,'"*!;#^5*!#a+0(#8(!,#!"#')/(# his guitar and play it too. One path that artists may take is to smooth out their quirks "%#,5>,(45(%!#-"*@,9#:+!'#*(8)*&,#!"#)#%(N!#)0>5.;#a+0(# A((60K#(.>(&&(&#+%#'+,#,"%8,#+,#)%#)*!+<50)!+"%#"7# tells music blog The Line of Best Fit, “I’m probably going unchained wandering. From the entrance of his debut to get really experimental but still make it a cool record.” album Constant Hitmaker (2008), “Freeway” bursts forth :+!'#)<<0)+.;#^5*!#a+0(#<"%!+%5(,#!"#.)@(#.5,+<#!')!# +%#)#F5>+0)%!#0)%&,<)6(#"7#,5%%K#85+!)*,;#!'(+*#."!+/(#7"*<(# retains his imprint, his brand of freedom. supplanting the need for a car in entertaining fantasies of interstate abandon. In contrast to such electrically ^5*!#a+0(#r#!'(#a+"0)!"*,#-+00#>(#60)K+%8#!'(#R+8'#T""%# charged declarations of life, liberty and the pursuit of Saloon in Madison on May 21st with Black Bananas. transience, “Losing Momentum” from Square Shells EP (2010) embraces the slower side of independence, the matt CHRISTIE *"00+%8#0"%(,".(#%"!(,#+005.+%)!+%8#)#-)!(*K#/)50!9#A*(,,(&# photo from www.fakeplastictunes.com/
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