Kurt Vile – Wakin On A Pretty Daze

A bit more sunny than his apparent influences (Lou Reed, Hot Tuna and countless folk singers) with a screwball optimism that recalls Marc Bolan. Consistently enjoyable.

By no means is Walkin On A Pretty Daze a lazy album, though it does have that feeling, that same feeling The Kinks tried to capture on “Sunny Afternoon,” yet couldn’t seem to sustain the lack of momentum. But Kurt’s managed to sustain that lack of momentum and more, where fluffy clouds and contagious yawns pass the day ... and he does it by engaging long soft songs that morph, cycle, re-cycle and fold endlessly back onto themselves in true stoner fashion, without edges, almost without consciousness, existing for but a moment, then caught on a breeze, and are gone.

I sincerely doubt that these numbers simply rained down on Kurt Vile ... from his lyrics, they seem to have required a great deal of thought and consideration. Take the lines, “To be frank, I’m fried, and that’s fine,” though he follows that up later with “Not feelin’ it,” which literally means “not eatin’,” because if one’s not working and creating songs, then there’s no food on the table. But then he turns the tables and hits us with a Beat Poet’s attitude on “A Girl Called Alex,” where he obsesses over the imaginary life he’s created for his friends, endlessly thinking about them and weaves one of the sweetest ballads with limited lyrics, that cuts right to the heart. And all of this makes the album more of a literary diary, where in a true Dylan-esq Blonde On Blonde dance step, he slips out clues through secretive imagery, allowing the listener to string together some meaningful understanding, and perhaps a new way of perceiving the world.

Walkin On A Pretty Daze is not psychedelic in the fashion that it reaches out, grabs you, bestowing wondrous visions across the landscape of your mind ... it’s much more ordinary than that, focusing on being comfortable, being right here where you are, and letting all things ordinary and comfortable surround and sustain you. To be honest, the songs barely ebb from the speakers, they more ooze into being, and once out of the tube, are impossible to put back in.

And through all of this, if Kurt has any message at all, it’s that it’s good to do things, it’s great to achieve, yet in true Zen fashion, allow it all to seem effortless.

Review by Jenell Kesler

I don't own this album, but 'Wakin On A Pretty Day' is such a good fucking song. God damn gold.

My copy is similar to your huntnew1 - Purchased today and it has OLE 998-0 as catalog number. Same "Authentic ESPO stickers included" sticker. Mine says Deluxe edition and the number on the back is 3565. I purchased from my local independent record store.

My cat# is different from those listed. Its OLE 998-0. It was bought in the US on the day of its release. The album cover is slightly different from the one pictured above...It only has a little graffiti written on the wall behind him. The album cover also has a sticker that reads 'Authentic ESPO stickers included Design Your Own Album Cover! Deluxe Numbered Edition Pressed On Blue Vinyl Plus! Download Card MP3 & FLAC'