Kurt Vile released three solo albums before breaking through in 2011 with Smoke Ring for My Halo . And the former War on Drugs guitarist has now apparently hit his creative stride in magnificent form. The momentum continues apace on this collection of gorgeously warm indie-rock songs that shuffle, strum, soothe and occasionally snap with a dreamy effervescence. The long instrumental passages on the Tom Petty- esque title track and Too Hard are satisfying rather than nerve- frayingly indulgent, while Vile's chameleon-like persona – from lapsteel-laced Americana to the psychedelic Lou Reed-like drawl of Girl Called Alex and the wacky synth buzz of Air Bud – keeps things fresh throughout. Despite a tracklisting with several that more than eight minutes long, this is a rare beast: a rock album that is quietly inventive without its protagonist showboating.
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Download: Was All Talk, Never Run Away