REVIEW: KURT VILE-CHILDISH PRODIGY

by Guy Roche.

There’s something infinitely admirable about those musicians or bands that slump into their success, having kicked a dead end job or menial workaday and pursued their music out of blind faith in their ability, or no real idea what else to do. Cue Kurt Vile’s shot to the head, light bulb moment when he decided he'd try employing himself through his music. It was a seemingly pained choice, made after being fired from a brewery in Philadelphia for drinking on the job. From forklift driver to reluctant musician with actual ability, Vile - inspired originally by legendary guitarist/composer/musical pioneer, John Fahey’s records - burnt a prolific trail across his hometown. Whilst laying his foundations in Philly’s lo-fi folk scene, Vile soon established something more of a bigger sonic pedigree and once again without any force on his own part, turned another new leaf. Beginning with a musical collaboration that became The War On Drugs - whose 2008 debut Wagonwheel Blues got some notice - to his solo foray as Kurt Vile, with accompanying band The Violators, he hasn’t yet had to look back.

Having recently seen these guys open at the Mohawk in Austin TX for that city’s very own Black Angels, I couldn’t help but be thankful Vile had been forced to quit his day job and appreciate his self depreciating beginnings and the early understated approach. The album Childish Prodigy, recently having its Australian release is an effortless and unashamed nod to Highway 61 Dylan and the Velvet’s stoned discordance. Throughout, Vile and his band go a good way to blend the elemental goodness of Americana, psych and Alan Vega’s vocal dirge.

‘Hunchback’ the album's opener, sees Vile’s vocals pull the song in some rewarding directions; yelps, quips and a flow set the record off with a fuzz heavy jam. The sparseness of ‘Dead Alive’, in its delightfully audible wandering, reveals the other main styling of this album. Vile’s lyrics have a great deal more room in this setting, and gives him the chance to set off little spot fires like “You tell me a good man is hard to find/What are you blind?”, and “There was a war of Independence/Superman’s a hindrance”. Through his delivery, he exudes a charming Reed/Vega-like attitude.

Straddling the experimentation of the 70’s New York City underground with songs of reverb-drenched refrain and steady-on amphetamine-addled caterwauling, Childish Prodigy administers its influences to the listener with a slacker ease and originality, which subsequently lets this album stand on feet of its own. This is felt most in the middle of the record where the high of ‘Freak Train’, the comedown of ‘Blackberry Song’ and the re-energised ‘Monkey’ run the gamut of the albums stylings.

Whilst ‘Heart Attack’ is a stand alone guitar-clad Vile track with character, from this point on the record's formula starts to get somewhat predictable. That is, until the sermon-like ‘Inside Lookin Out’ takes hold. A Spaceman 3 (Forged Prescriptions, ‘Hypnotized/Just to See You Smile’ era) vamp encloses this track, and the untitled one that follows embraces a slice of The Verve’s lighter workings from A Storm in Heaven. If you can dig Childish Prodigy up until this point, these songs are the reward after the record's brief low ebb. The closing track though, is an unnecessary warble on an otherwise interesting outing.

Just as other punters would attest at the Mohawk in Austin, watching Vile and The Violators was a pleasant surprise in the Black Angelic build up, and listeners should rejoice in knowing he’s no longer behind the wheel of a forklift in a Philly brewery. Let’s hope to see him on Australian shores in the new year.