The Daily Spin II

Kurt Vile | Childish Prodigy

Welcome back to the Daily Spin. For the uninitiated, this is the series in which I review an album every day of 2025.

As was the case two years ago, my favorite song from each album can be found at the playlist linked here.

Album: Childish Prodigy (2009)

Artist: Kurt Vile

Link:

I like this a lot. It’s good, solid stuff - very Dylan-esque, with a little bit of that lo-fi modern touch that separates him from some of the true old-heads - but keeps that folksy flair that makes Vile’s work so appealing.

There are two central points where this record suffers. Firstly - there’s a lack of direction here sometimes. The songs get to meandering and wandering, like they’re lost, and Vile doesn’t seem to know where they are to bring them back home. It leaves too much of the album stuck in purgatory, looking around for a door that won’t ever show. The second - and this is admittedly just preference as much as anything - is that this record feels too polished.

Now, you might think “but polish sounds nice!” and you wouldn’t be incorrect! Kurt Vile, though, has made a name off of a slightly shaky folk sound - part of what makes the genre so appealing to me is that (admittedly, sometimes simulated) unease. It’s far too charming to give up, and it’s the biggest drawback to an otherwise lovely little jam of an album.

Rating: 7/10

Best Tracks: He’s Alright

Worst Tracks: Monkey