As the UK experiences its hottest May temperatures in over a century, the release of Kurt Vile’s new record ‘Philadelphia’s Been Good To Me’ couldn’t feel more timely. The singer-songwriter and former lead guitarist of The War on Drugs has long had a knack for making music that paints vivid scenes in the listener’s mind, and on this latest project he doesn’t put down the brush. If anything, he pays even closer attention to detail.
You don’t have to spend long with opener ‘Zoom 97’ before feeling as though you’re medatively cruising down a vast American highway in a convertible, the sun beating down overhead. Or perhaps you picture Vile himself behind the wheel, which, given his sun-soaked, road-worn persona, hardly feels far-fetched. Plus, he’s got the hair for it.
The lyrics on lead single ‘Chance to Bleed’ introduce the tone of the project perfectly: “Old time, lo-fi, DIY, rock’n’roll nights.” Like much of Vile’s discography, the track carries a strange sense of timelessness, blending earnestness with romanticisation, and vivid description with invention. Heard without context, you would struggle to pin down exactly where it belongs on a musical timeline. It could just as easily have arrived 40 years ago as it could today.
While musically the album is by no means a bold step in a new direction for Vile, it feels more consistent than it does repetitive. You know what to expect when you put his music on: hazy guitar chords, hypnotic solos, an easy-going vocal performance, and carefully crafted lyrics that sound as though they come from someone who finds it easier to make sense of their thoughts through song.
By his ninth studio album, or tenth if you count 2017’s Courtney Barnett collaboration ‘Lotta Sea Lice’, Vile feels fully aware of both his musical strengths and limitations. Rather than pushing against them, he seems as eager as ever to refine and perfect the sound he has spent the best part of two decades cultivating.
Still, there is something distinctly refreshing about his self-proclaimed “Bringin’ it back home to Philly” album. It feels like a genuine love letter to the place he has called home for most of his life, while still finding space to acknowledge that, for a time, home meant Los Angeles too. We are living in a moment where algorithms increasingly drive wedges between us, encouraging extreme, often distorted views of people and places we know very little about. One quick search for “streets of Philadelphia” on Instagram or TikTok confronts you with troubling footage, making it difficult to find beauty amid the crime, homelessness, and fentanyl crisis. Then comes the realisation that, for the exact same reason, social media likely encourages many Americans to imagine our lives here in the UK through a similarly bleak lens, one that feels exaggerated and not entirely fair.
The most moving thing about Vile’s description of his home city is that it is abundant with nuance and free of sugar-coating, delivered with a comforting sense of honesty that makes it feel real. He knows it ain’t perfect, but it’s home.
8/10
Words: Finlay Harrison
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