Kurt Vile
Childish Prodigy
Matador / Playground

Childish Prodigy is Philadelphian singer/songwriter Kurt Vile's debut on Matador, but his second album overall.

Kurt Vile has with his folk / Americana sound been compared to the likes of Bob Seger and Tom Petty, and I can easily see why. But mostly Vile's Americana rock, is more border lining the gothicana than the plainer roots, even if songs like the Dim Star cover "Monkey", the luminous folk tune "Overnite Religion", and "He's All Right" hardly can be described as anything but straight forward Petty-like roots. Yet, these tunes are the exception and not the rule.

Childish Prodigy is distinctively dark edged. The soundscapes are rustic, gloomy and somewhat deserted, still very richly detailed. It is moving between the pounding rock on tunes like the opener "Hunchback" or the even heavier, steamy paced "Freak Train", and the intriguingly biblical gothic on songs like "Dead Alive" and "Inside Looking Out", with its oh so longing harmonica. I also have to mention the deceivingly calm "Heart Attack" that is as heartbreakingly painful as the naming says, painfully good that is.

Good, also is the best description of Childish Prodigy. And though Kurt Vile may not be an actual prodigy, he sure does know how to make pretty good music.

Release date: October 6th 2009.

Copyright © 2009 Aslaug O Klausen