Philadelphia-born Kurt Vile has released his 6th studio album b’lieve i’m goin down… and while folk-grunge may not be “hip,” Vile certainly puts up a fight. Our Track of the Week, is off of the new release.
His banjo-heavy first track “Pretty Pimpin” makes quite an impression, sporting dark lyrics like “I proceeded to brush some stranger’s teeth, but they were my teeth,” and “Who’s this stupid clown blocking the bathroom sink? But he was sporting my clothes,”contrasted by almost-upbeat instrumentals.
Another interesting – if not straight-up quirky – feature of “Pretty Pimpin” is Vile’s creative use of vowels sounds. “Mirror” becomes “meerror” and “man” becomes “may-en,” giving the track a laid-back, easy feel. Vile described the album to Rolling Stone as a whole as having “…that night vibe…KV’s Night Life…” which is definitely true. I close my eyes, and visions of restless nights and dark car rides creep into my mind. A great track to listen to at night in bed or in the middle of the day driving down the road, “Pretty Pimpin” will have you air-strumming along with the banjo, and wondering what stranger’s teeth you’ll be brushing in the morning…
Listen to “Pretty Pimpin” below and listen to the whole album on Spotify or buy it on iTunes.
