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CRITIC REVIEWS
100
KV’s music seems to have a timeless purity and I hope it entices other listeners to bask in their own escapism and freedom of thought as it does with me. If Kurt Vile isn’t my spirit guide, then he has most definitely produced the soundtrack that plays whilst I’m journeying.
100
Easily his most focused and accessible work, Pretty Daze is the strongest so far in a chain of releases that seem to suggest there are even greater heights to be reached.
10y
90
It’s a tough, late-night, soul-searching kind of process that Kurt Vile has signed up for here. It’s a testament to his talent that he takes it so seriously, but makes it all sound effortless.
90
It’s a testament to Vile’s songwriting ability that, despite clocking in at over an hour, your attention never once wavers.
10y
90
Wakin on a Pretty Daze, Vile's fifth album, is the product of both thought and effort. That it feels like it took neither thought nor effort is a product of talent.
10y
90
Its ambrosial melodies and austere instrumentation edify his canon of work, which has long been rewarding for its risky sensibilities and perseverance.
10y
87
For all the intense work that no doubt went into capturing Wakin On A Pretty Daze‘s newly widescreen sonics, the moments that manage to make it special still feel so entirely off the cuff.
10y
85
Wakin on a Pretty Daze breezes past like a Klonopin dream, and radiates an easy confidence that is as rewarding to return to as a melody.
10y
85
For all its accessibility it remains a remarkably restrained work, and the lengthier songs manage not to overstay their welcome, thanks to the straightforward performance of Vile's backing band, who give the music what it needs and nothing more, creating songs which ebb and flow beautifully
10y
85
On Daze, Vile’s amorphous, ambient drones continue to solidify into sharp shapes with defined edges. While he was always a contemplative songwriter, Vile’s lyrics are now more ponderous and worldly rather than navel-gazing.
10y
83
His fifth one feels light as smoke, with happily strummed melodies that drift past the eight-minute mark.
80
The fact that there’s rarely a dull moment in Wakin on a Pretty Daze’s hour-plus running time speaks to the record’s inventiveness and diversity. It’s rare for a musician to capture an emotional space with such conviction, playfulness and specificity.
80
This doesn't veer wildly in style from Vile's previous four--he still sounds like a stoned Springsteen singing from the bottom of a well--but his songwriting reaches a mesmeric peak.
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1y
80
His most assured record to date, this is also the Philadelphia rocker's most purely pleasurable.
80
Vile’s laconic drawl and laid-back guitar heroics are so addictively blissful that eight or nine minutes don’t feel like enough.
80
Even when he's so amiably out-of-focus, Vile's melodies remain vivid, his wanders never self-indulgent.
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1y
80
Wakin' on a Pretty Daze is one of those rare examples of an artist’s uninhibited self-indulgence resulting in an LP which plays firmly to their strengths.
10y
80
Hints of Lou Reed (the phrasing) and Neil Young (the guitar solos) pepper songs that Philadelphia-born Vile invests with his slacker drawl, endearing quiet charm and wry self-mockery.
80
Taking his time, as much of the album does, is no bad thing when the melodies are this compelling.
80
He certainly has our attention.
80
The result is a record imbued with the mood of a mellowed songwriter relaxing into his own groove, amid his rich heartland heritage. The engulfing vibe of blissed-out simplicity present in lead single Wakin’ On a Pretty Day is a perfect introduction to the warm glow of its parent.
80
It may take a little longer to get in to, but it’s entirely possible that once you’re immersed in Wakin’ On A Pretty Daze, you might be happy never to surface.
10y
80
Despite its length and moments of lyrical self-loathing, ‘Wakin…’ neither bores nor depresses. Vile lets us gaze into his soul so we can wallow in his easy-drifting, unquantifiably miffed genius.
10y
80
Daze demands time in order to fully appreciate it, promising new discoveries with successive listens. The little intricacies buried in the songs keep them rewarding and fresh
10y
80
Wakin’ On A Pretty Daze strikes with a gust of pent up emotions, a trailblazing record that openly affirms a personal accountability for self without slipping into heavy-handedness.
10y
80
Mostly, ‘Wakin On A Pretty Daze’ shows Kurt Vile’s determination to make something of that slice of genius he got for free.
10y
75
With Wakin On A Pretty Daze, Vile has added another seemingly effortless 70 minutes’ worth of straightforward, easygoing golden tones to his consistent discography.
10y
70
Vile could have chopped most of these songs in half and they would have worked just fine, but the overall effect wouldn't have been so blissfully druggy.
70
It’s easy-going and charming, without ever having the focus or intensity to be insightful, definitely not a life-changing album, but potentially a life-affirming one.
10y
70
The album is as grungy as it is sedate, like the angst of grunge has been diluted some what but its raw frame work still remains.
70
Vile sounds refreshed on some of these songs, made new again, and while that’s invigorating to see in a career that’s harvested so much from alleged indifference, a brighter songwriting style gives Wakin’ on a Pretty Daze a surprisingly conflicted sound.
10y
60
Kurt Vile's sweetly slack fifth LP kicks in with a nine-and-a-half-minute song about taking a walk, hits peak stoner wonder in a song called "Air Bud" and fills in the spaces with trank-darted Dinosaur Jr. licks.
60
The rough edges and edgy attack of his lo-fi singer-songwriting beginnings feel like forever ago; Wakin on a Pretty Daze finds Vile inhabiting a comfortable spot.
50
The songs of his that have stood out most are the ones that at least try to meet the listener halfway, the ones that betray the deep-seeded enthusiasm underlying Vile’s laid-back, stoner(-esque — he’s a family guy, now) cool. While such material can still be found on Wakin on a Pretty Daze, locating it is becoming more and more of a chore.
10y
40
Sadly, WOAPD is devoid of the sly wit of Vile's early material, and consists of mid-paced alt rock, reminiscent of the Dandy Warhols in a coma.
KV's magnum opus, and his best work to this day. Incredible layering, extremely memorable and fantastic lyricism, songwriting skill on point, and immaculate vibes. All of what the lad does best.
"I got the upper hand; here, in present days. Now take a look at my hands, watch 'em go, watch me go, yeah I'm goin', yeah I'm gone..."
Favourite tracks: ★ Wakin on a Pretty Day, Girl Called Alex, Goldtone
Girl Called Alex is such a fantastic song, wish I liked the rest as much as I like that song. Some of these longer songs are really a chore. I think I liked Smoke Ring for My Halo more, but I'd need to go back and listen to that.
A tad bit too long, but it’s a great collection of the southern/psychedelic rock combo that Vile is known for.
Standout: Wakin’ on a Pretty Day
Favs: Snowflakes are Dancing, KV Crimes, Too Hard, Goldtone, Pure Pain, Was all Talk
Least fav: Shame Chamber
All killer KV, no filler KV.
Apparently when this album came out Kurt said the track lengths were so long to save listeners from having to hit repeat. What a badass flex.
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Track List
| 1 | Wakin On a Pretty Day 9:30 | 95 |
| 2 | KV Crimes 3:57 | 93 |
| 3 | Was All Talk 7:41 | 93 |
| 4 | Girl Called Alex 6:19 | 94 |
| 5 | Never Run Away 3:24 | 86 |
| 6 | Pure Pain 5:08 | 93 |
| 7 | Too Hard 8:03 | 82 |
| 8 | Shame Chamber 4:46 | 90 |
| 9 | Snowflakes Are Dancing 3:22 | 85 |
| 10 | Air Bud 6:29 | 89 |
| 11 | Goldtone 10:25 | 95 |
Total Length: 1 hour, 9 minutes
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Added on: February 11, 2013