Kurt Vile’s seventh solo albumĀ Bottle It InĀ is fun and hypnotic with plenty of twists and turns.
The track’s opener “Loading Zones” pulls you right in. His jangly acoustic jams are reminiscent of the likes of REM and Pavement, only it sounds brighter and fresher than ever before. “Hysteria” follows in a similar vein and “Yeah Bones” is made up of an almost irritatingly catchy riff which shows of his admirable guitar work.
“One Trick Ponies” is a lovely song about friendship and the value of staying close to the people from your past. “Loved them all right down to my soul /Ā Looked well into the depth of a hole /Ā Pondered perpetual motion in the echo / Just like the song if the repeats were long,” he sings, repeating the riff and lyrics just as his words suggest.
After the subsequent track comes “Check Baby” which is grungier and less carefree. The dirty bass and Vile’s random yelps and growler, more rock n’ roll vocals suit the lyrics which are edgy and deliberately confused. The heavier guitar and psychedelic riffs are a curveball after the previous tracks but ‘Check Baby’ is a treat.
“Bottle It In is a ten-minute track which meanders and drifts artfully. It’s lighter and floaty with harp sounds and soft acoustic drumming. It loses its focus a little midway but it’s a nice song to relax and space out to. The lyrics are sombre and beautiful. He sings: “Don’t tell them /Ā That you love them /Ā For your own sake /Ā Naw, you better bottle it in.” When you concentrate on the lyrics, the music transforms into something sadder and subtly powerful.
“Come Again” is another fun track which conjures images of the Wild West. “Cold Was The Wind’ shifts tone entirely, demonstrating that Kurt Vile is capable of conjuring an eclectic range of moods. On the other hand, the album’s ten-minute finale “Skinny Mini” introduces a collection of guitar effects which cut off Vile’s vocals.
Overall,Ā Bottle It InĀ is an impressive album which is well worth coming back to. It shifts through a whole spectrum of emotions which are all tied together by Kurt Vile’s unique voice, which always sounds like it’s sung through a half-half smile.
Fans of Kurt Vile will have nothing bad to say about the album and for people listening for the first time,Ā Bottle It InĀ is as good a place to start as any.
4/5
