The album Kurt Vile calls a “pop masterpiece”
For obvious reasons, fans predominantly associate indie rock hero Kurt Vile with guitar music. However, his taste stretches far outside the realm of the six-string, and on numerous occasions, he has shown just how broad his palette is.
Indicating that Vile is into a variety of music is that he named his “favourite song ever” the surreal groove that is ‘Mutilated Lips’ by Ween, the cult band whose eclectic style is one of the most distinctive out there. Comprised of the colourful characters that are Gene and Deen Ween, the group’s experimental leanings aren’t for everyone.
He recalled: “As a teen, you know… I liked ‘Voodoo Lady’ on the radio. I would hear them in passing and then when The Mollusk just came out [some] friends came home drunk — I was staying at someone’s house, and two people that live there came home drunk — and they just had seen Ween at the Trocadero in Philly, it was for The Mollusk, and then they played the album, and I was definitely stoned, and a teenager and it blew my mind. [I’ve been] a super fan ever since. I still think ‘Mutilated Lips’ is my favourite song maybe ever.”
Whilst the Ween song in question might be something of a surprise as there are more obvious ones out there, via the slacker lens and the fact that the rock duo are also Pennsylvania natives, it’s not that much of an unexpected choice from Kurt Vile. However, when speaking to SPIN to list the five albums he can’t live without, Vile provided some absolute wonders, such as GZA and Sun Ra releases.
However, the standout choice of the collection was the 2022 album Crash by hyperpop star Charli XCX. A resounding showing that Vile is not all about rock music, he conceded that he is “a sucker for pop music” and that this album is “a pop masterpiece”.
Vile said: “I’m a sucker for pop music, but I also like, just next level, when they have the whole package, and this record is just a pop masterpiece. I listened to it over and over on the plane ride on the way home on CD.”
Referring to some of the album’s highlights, such as the final single ‘Used to Know Me’, he continued: “The album has bangers and then songs like ‘Constant Repeat’ and ‘Twice’ and ‘Used to Know Me’. The melody is melancholy, it’s sad and beautiful at the same time. The song ‘Used to Know Me’… it literally skips one beat till it reaches that peak with the hook melody at the end and it literally makes your heart skip a beat. She’s just got it.”
Vile concluded: “I know her fans are called angels, and me and my daughters–we joke but it’s true–we’re just overnight angels, too. I showed my daughters and they instantly love her. She just has that. It’s just exciting to see what she’s going to do next.”
