Kurt Vile doesn’t make it with »(watch my moves)« either – the comparison with his former colleagues from The War On Drugs is an obvious one. But not because of the sound. Rather the 42-year-old simply bid farewell after the debut album to do his own thing. And while The War On Drugs have released acclaimed records since, the US songwriter’s ninth album is likely not to make it either. This is because while Vile adapts enough elements from music history, he builds a very distinctive sound of his own. Here and there, the guitar is reminiscent of Pavement (»Flying (Like A Fast Train)«), the atmosphere of Neil Young (»Jesus on a Wire«) and the quiet moments of Yo La Tengo also make an appearance (»Palace of OKV in Reverse«); however Kurt Vile drives out their nostalgic character and enhances them to create his own cosmos. He also sings his way through various daydreams and associations. Which makes »(watch my moves)« not an album you can make sense of. To do that it just remains far too quiet. There are no big moments here. No one redeems anyone here. That would also be the completely wrong gesture for this sound. The guitars move along on the rhythm and everything shines in the light of a never-ending summer afternoon. Kurt Vile simply doesn’t let it go dark. And if all the words, all the melodies and all the harmonies convey a single feeling, it is one of confidence.
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Matador