Hi everyone, Sidethony Linetano here, the internet's busiest music nerd, and it's time for a review of this new Kurt Vile album, Philadelphia's been good to me.

Here we have a brand new record from Philly's own singer-songwriter Mr. Kurt Vile, who is now on his 10th full-length album, which is no small feat in a career that spans over two decades at this point. But when Kurt had his first big breakout moment on the indie circuit, his music and he himself was sounding and vibing a lot differently. He essentially helped spearhead this neo-psych folk wave that was chilled out, reverb-drenched, trippy, sometimes pretty linear in its song structure too, especially on entrancing albums like Wakin On A Pretty Daze.

But now, many, many, many years later, Kurt has embraced a much clearer sound, and clearer head too. I mean, the opening track on this record here is all about his sobriety, his love for his kids, writing songs, and jamming on some chords too, because as it turns out, his terminally chill demeanor sorta comes naturally, very few substances needed. Though I do think the transition to this point that we're at today has led to some projects that were maybe missing a little something here and there.

But I think Kurt has embraced all of this new clarity and space with attempts at experimenting and just generally trying new things with his sound. For example, with his post-lockdown release, (watch my moves), that record had him sort of embracing a lot of different instrumental palettes than he had in the past.

But Philly's Been Good to Me sees him going back back to those folk rock basics, though, with some of his clearest mixes and most focused songs to date, at least in terms of the emotions and experiences that are informing them. And I guess I would stress that these comments are relative within Kurt's discography.

Like, this is a somewhat direct album for Kurt. The runtime still spans over an hour, and the performances and the singing style still sound like they are in no hurry to go anywhere fast. And some of the writing on this record doesn't so much feel like writing as much as it is like free associative poetry tossed out over these kind of loop pedal meditations and improv jams with his bandmates. And from there, again, allowing whatever musings are flowing out of his mind to hit the microphone pretty much unfiltered for the most part. And in the process of going in this direction, Kurt can get pretty meta, like on the song "Rock o' Stone" where he sings about laying down this very song in Athens, Georgia, and how the words eventually came to him.

Then with the track "99th Song," a 10-minute monster on the album, Kurt is literally describing filling up the red looper pedal that I guess he's building his tracks on, and then going from the idea of a pedal for an instrument to petals falling through the sky, drawing these different verbal linkages between technology and also finality, given that the track is about sort of like hitting an end here of sorts. Like, he can't put any more music or ideas into this pedal without going backwards or undoing or erasing. And given this is a pretty long track with a lot of space to fill up, Kurt also takes time to go over how therapeutic the writing and performing process is for him, and even kind of pokes fun at the fact that he's moving so slow across this song, singing so slow.

Then, another self-aware highlight for me on this record is "Chance to Bleed," one of the most anthemic tracks I think Kurt has dropped in years. "With that old-time lo-fi DIY rock 'n' roll." This track is so Neil Young all the way. In fact, I would say it's like, you know, Kurt's own "Rockin' in the Free World," but if instead it could be kind of like skewed in more of a chill, literally DIY, local, lo-fi rock folk kinda way. Plus, I love all the righteous guitar riffs and jammy little embellishments across the track too.

And that's pretty much the appeal across the bulk of this record: less so super sharp, to-the-point songwriting, and more so whatever unplanned touches Kurt and his collaborators can nail in the midst of these recordings. And sometimes it feels like they are cooking with gas and have a lot to say, or at the very least are having a lot of fun. But other moments on this record for sure are a little awkward and tedious.

Like with the title track, for example, which I think maybe has the most guitar flubs on the entire record, moments that I'm kind of surprised they didn't go back and try to re-record. Then on top of that, the airy synth chords and drum combo on this cut are really slow and very awkward. Not to mention Kurt's commentary and many lyrical observations about Philly and his life and time and experiences, connections there, are all pretty fleeting and not quite as sentimental as you would hope a track from this kind of perspective would be.

Now, as far as the second half of this record goes, there are some interesting variations to be had. There are some instrumental cuts that for the most part are okay, like "Red Room Dub," as well as "Piano for Sarah," which is kind of like a wonderful and adorable little kind of like indie film soundtrack piece. Then with "Holiday OKV," I will say Kurt does allow some kind of dark thoughts to start seeping in with moodier guitars and poetic bars about meds, brain fog, low times in his life, and I would say in addition to that, just a hint of survivor's guilt, thinking about those he's lost or lost touch of because of, as he describes, you know, the demons of life kind of getting their claws in particular people. This of course is contrasted with the most blissful song on the record, "Every time I look at you," which is a really enjoyable, almost lovesick lullaby.

And the closing track, while it's not my favorite song here instrumentally and as far as overall aesthetics goes, it does kind of bring more psychedelic sounds back into the old. As refreshing as it is to kind of hear Kurt in a different spot, in a different place in his career, it's nice to see him kind of touch down on these trippier roots once again and for it to sound halfway decent still.

But yeah, overall Philadelphia's been good to me I think is one of the more solid and personal Kurt Vile records I've heard in a while. It's definitely a record that I think signifies a lot of personal growth for Kurt, has some crisp, clear quality recordings, good jams, lots of chill vibes that are intoxicating but not necessarily like tripped out of their mind or anything like that. It's just a very nice, pleasant, relaxing, emotional experience from one of the coolest dudes the indie folk scene ever platformed in the 2010s. Which is why I'm feeling about a light 7 on this record.

Anthony Fantano. Kurt Vile. Forever.