Kurt Vile Crafts Curious Autobiographical Ode On Colorful ‘Philadelphia’s been good to me’ (ALBUM REVIEW)

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, represents a plethora of things to many people from many different walks of life. Some see it as the destination of their morning commute from the suburbs, while others see it as the place their rival sports team houses its stars. For a lot of people, though, including the incomparable Kurt Vile, Philly is home, a place of solace to retreat from the stir of fans and pleased critics that have attached themselves to Vile’s undeniable discography. Philadelphia has been home to Vile since the beginning, with the singer being raised in the suburbs outside of the City of Brotherly Love. 

Vile has gone down many paths throughout his storied career, but all roads lead to home. Philadelphia’s been good to me, the tenth studio album from the multi-instrumentalist, is dedicated to the city that shaped Vile and the memories he’s collected on its burgeoning streets. These 12 songs are unapologetically Vile. Never before has this familiar voice sounded so raw and present, pouring nothing but every ounce of himself into these songs, and the results are breathtaking. Vivid imagery depicting vulnerable looks into the artist’s psyche and the scenes around him when these thoughts entered his mind is delivered over sleek, warping guitars, resulting in a tracklist free of tropes and impossible to duplicate. 

Along with being a love letter to his city, Philadelphia’s been good to me proves to be Vile’s most daring music in years. There is a distinct, freeing energy in these songs that seems influenced by the lofty visions woven throughout this tracklist. This is not a gimmick album centered around a singular city in this country for the sake of saying you’ve made one, nor are these songs riddled with niche references only accessible to those who have ventured to the artist’s home city. These are poetically crafted, heartfelt, lo-fi alt-country anthems that lean more on the autobiographical than anything, forcing every intricate flourish of synth and hypnotic guitar riff to be felt deeply in the listener’s soul. 

“Chance to bleed,” a lead single from the project, was not only a proper introduction to the album’s stripped-down yet lively aesthetic, but an omen of sentiments that dot Vile’s songwriting. “Now you’ve got a chance to bleed now, with a microphone too hot to hold, scream into it,” croons Vile on the single. This idea echoes in the unfiltered creativity of Philadelphia’s been good to me, almost as if the artist was reminding himself to hold nothing back throughout his tenth outing, and that’s exactly what he did. The beautifully written “Every time I look at you” finds Vile smitten over twinkling tones, “99th song” is bursting with colorful harmonies and unpredictability, dedicated to the casualness of Vile’s recording process. At the same time, “You don’t know cuz it’s my life” is a delicate reminder that every passing face has a story behind it. 

Vile’s story began in Philadelphia, and, finally, the hero has returned home. In a flash of risk-filled antics, the artist has created some of the most individualistic music of his career. From the heartbreak of “Rock o’ Stone” to the ethereal album closer, “Avalanches of Snow,” Philadelphia’s been good to me is a transparent look at the current state of a beloved musician whose life in music has culminated in an autobiographical album that is destined to stick to the sides of your soul.