Kurt Vile : Philadelphia’s been good to me

Kurt Vile has built a solid musical career out of jangly, classic rock vibes with a touch of outsider weirdness. It’s like Tom Petty meets R. Stevie Moore with a brush of John Prine and JJ Cale for good measure. His quietly genius guitar playing and stream-of-consciousness lyrical style feels both relatable and alien at the same time. Like some elfin creature with a guitar strapped to his body and long hair flowing over a jean jacket, speaking in riddles over a groovy rock heartbeat.

Vile has proven to be a consistently great musician and songwriter, giving us classic albums like Smoke Ring For My Halo, Wakin On A Pretty Daze, and Bottle It In. Albums chock full of wandering, rambling rock and roll in no hurry to get to where it’s going. Albums that towed the line between alt-country, indie, and classic rock and roll sometimes even tripping into outsider art(Bottle It In, I’m looking at you.)

Kurt Vile has returned with his first full-length album since 2022s Watch My Moves. Philadelphia’s been good to me is Vile’s breeziest and easiest record to date. Songs easy to lock into and hum along to in the car, this is Vile’s most summertime record.

You always got the feeling that Kurt Vile was trying to make a statement with his albums. Densely thick with lots of songs, and long ones to boot. Tracks that were as breezy as they were puzzling, like riddles needing solved over several listens. It was both satisfying and exhausting at the same time. Even though Philadelphia’s been good to me is over an hour it doesn’t feel that long. The songs roll along in groovy, steady motion, like a pleasant summer breeze.

We’re hit with a steady stream of jangly jams as the album opens. “Zoom 97”, “99 BPM”, “Rock ‘o Stone”, and “You Don’t Know Cuz It’s My Life” all roll by in a pleasant succession of pop jangle rock n roll. The Philly swagger meshing well with a pseudo southern charm delivery. There’s a definite attempt at more simplicity in his songwriting and it lends itself to sunshine hikes and backyard bbq jams.

We still get a 10-minute jaunt with “99th Song”, as Vile talks about his red looper and not much else. It’s care-free and easy to fall into. There’s a lovely piano track called “Piano For Sarah” that shows Vile’s softer touch, while album closer “Avalances of Snow” is Vile at his most jangliest, messiest best. Horns colliding with synths and Vile’s lazy vocal delivery.

Philadelphia’s been good to me is Kurt Vile in fine pop rock form, while not losing his outsider weirdness.