'Concentrate My Hurt Into a Gold Tone': A Week with 'Wakin on a Pretty Daze'

Kurt Vile is a musician and songwriter that I have been at least aware of for quite a while; living in a little room in the back of my mind with all the other musicians that I'll get around to someday. He's released 5 album's and 4 EPs in the last 6 six years, and with each subsequent release he's received more and more acclaim. The little Kurt in my mind was slowly growing and beckoning to me. 2011's album, 'Smoke Ring for My Halo', ended up on many end-of-year-lists and by the time this year's 'Wakin on a Pretty Daze' arrived to near unanimous praise, I knew that the time had come to give dear Kurt a listen. I've given his newest release about 15 listens this past week and I'm oh-so very glad that I did.

'Wakin on a Pretty Daze' sounds like an album out of time. Not necessarily an album from the past (though in many ways that could be true) but simply out of time; it sounds like its always been here and it always will be. As I listened to the album over and over throughout the week, I was struck just by how timeless and rock-solid many of the tracks on this record sound. This feeling of agelessness is only magnified by the sounds on the album itself. The whole thing is a beautiful, hazy, and very emotive album. Vile's guitar playing, his conversational lyrics, and the lush production make for a very warm and insular experience. A little 70 minute time-capsule that has been a pleasure to escape into.

Vile's casual and laid-back lyrics as well as his delivery also add to the warmness of the record. He's just hanging out, jamming, and kind of singing whatever comes to mind. And for the most part it works really well. There's not any sort of mystical depths to explore in his lyrics, no complex and vague metaphors; just straight-forward life experience and many times simple life philosophy. He wants to appreciate the world and the people around him for who they are, and contribute positively through his music. The whole of Goldtone lyrically is about him finding happiness in his music and being able to share that with others. He is striving to work out his stress and problems into "golden tones." Its a very positive record overall. There is a sense of hope brimming from it that made it a real pleasure to visit over and over again.

It is a long album and the average track length is about 6 minutes, but the majority of these tracks use their length to great advantage. The record is book-ended by the two longest (and best in my opinion) tracks: starting with Wakin on a Pretty Day and ending with Goldtone. Wakin... is easily my favorite track on the record. The guitar riffs, the wonderfully catchy melody, the way the drum beat changes halfway through to a more propulsive beat, that slide guitar, the slow crescendo of the song working toward an awesomely epic guitar solo, the low-farty synth/organ/feedback (?) in the background towards the end of the song, and perhaps best of all: it never gets boring in its almost 10 full minutes. That is a difficult feat, but both Wakin... and equally lush and beautiful Goldtone pull it off with aplomb. 

The track Too Hard was the only one that I felt wore out its welcome with its lack of melodic development and almost bored sounding delivery from Vile. Not to say that it is a terrible song. There is a perfectly great 4 minute song to be found, but those 4-ish minutes worth of awesome are stretched over 8 minutes on the album. It just goes on a tad too long and was the only real faltering point on the album for me. But this stumble is quickly rescued by the punchy and (relatively) short Shame Chamber that follows it; with its driving beat and great background vocal yelps. The rest of record is smooth and sunny sailing.

In 'Wakin on a Pretty Daze', Kurt Vile has delivered something very valuable: a genuinely optimistic experience. It wants to be enjoyed and to bring joy to its listeners. There are no grand political or socioeconomic machinations, no hidden deep, dark secrets. It just wants you to be happy. If you will allow me to climb up on my high horse for a minute, I think that focusing on the good we can bring to those around us can be a helpful thing. Doom and gloom has its place (especially in music) but I think that there is great value in occasionally, to borrow the phrase, focusing on the positive. Yes, the world is full of terrible things - horrible things happen everyday and at times it really does seem overwhelming. We can still affect change and bring joy to those around us even through something as simple as a beautiful song. 

Up Next: Wall of Voodoo's 'Call of the West' (by reader request!)