CD of The Week

Following the success of 2011's intimately sprawling Smoke Ring for My Halo, Philadelphia favorite Kurt Vile continues to broaden his sonic horizons on the expansive, evolutionary Wakin On a Pretty Daze. It finds him not so much on as in a daze of dreamy introspection, with longer songs and deeper lyrics that straddle the fence between youthful optimism and the comedown of adulthood that inevitably follows. Such explorations not only reward the lengths of the songs but often require them to engage on an intellectual level. The almost title track "Wakin On a Pretty Day" that opens the album is even more captivating at nearly ten minutes than in it's already pretty great radio edit.

Matching the complexities of the narratives is tighter, more textural interplay between acoustic and electronic elements that keep the album kinetic even when songs stretch out. This album seems to particularly favor the motorik grooves that make the peak efforts of Yo La Tengo and Stereolab so addictive. "Was All Talk" takes those sounds even further and jitters with the warm abandon of latter day Radiohead. Other highlights include the strutting "KV Crimes" (not guilty I say!), the serpentine groove of "Snowflakes Are Dancing" and the lush, luxe finale "Goldtones" with its wistful female backing vocals.

Simultaneously Kurt Vile's most ambitious and accessible work, Wakin On a Pretty Daze proves himself a confident, compelling musician who continues to grow with each release.

Enjoy his Pretty Daze when he brings it to Union Transferon May 19th.