Kurt Vile
Watch My Moves


3.7
great

Review

by Sunnyvale STAFF
April 21st, 2022 | 60 replies


Release Date: 2022 | Tracklist

Review Summary: A too short review for a too long album

Watch My Moves is a Kurt Vile album. As such, it has some characteristic traits, for good and for ill: there’s the endearingly laconic drawl of the vocals and the pristine tone of the guitar, but also an (at times) almost unbearably slow pace to the songs and a general lack of concern for album structure. This record does nothing to convince Kurt Vile skeptics to jump on the bandwagon, but for the already-converted it will also do nothing to drive them away. Indeed, this is certainly one of the singer-songwriter’s stronger efforts, even coming eight LPs into his solo career. There are some absolute gems to be found: “Like Exploding Stones”, with its classic lethargic groove, the catchy “Jesus On A Wire”, the unusually direct emotion of “Cool Water”, and the soothingly-melancholy closer “Stuffed Leopard”. All this doesn’t forgive the fact that the opener, “Goin On A Plane Today” is vaguely annoying (if mercifully short), and that the album goes a full seventy-three minutes despite its general style and vibe justifying perhaps only half that duration. In the end, it’s just Kurt Vile doing what he does, and I get the sense that he doesn’t care what some online critic on a random website might say about it. And that’s respectable. Watch My Moves is a mess, but it’s often a glorious one.



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user ratings (42)
3.4
great


Comments:Add a Comment 
Sunnyvale
Staff Reviewer
April 21st 2022


5858 Comments

Album Rating: 3.8

Trying to beat Jesper at his own game!



Figured this deserved a review, so here's a (very brief) one!

someone
Contributing Reviewer
April 21st 2022


6589 Comments


it's been a long Vile since i heard a Kurt album

da dum tss and i'm sorry

theBoneyKing
April 21st 2022


24389 Comments

Album Rating: 3.5

Pretty spot on review. I’m enjoying this for sure, Kurt always brings the vibe.

fogza
Contributing Reviewer
April 21st 2022


9753 Comments

Album Rating: 3.5

much better than his last one, even though the opener is dreadful

JesperL
Staff Reviewer
April 21st 2022


5453 Comments


oo spicy review (length), hell yeah
never really enjoyed his stuff so i'll be staying away from this one

Sunnyvale
Staff Reviewer
April 21st 2022


5858 Comments

Album Rating: 3.8

Thanks folks!



@Jesper, yeah, this is unlikely to change your mind then.

neekafat
Staff Reviewer
April 21st 2022


26091 Comments


how inexcusable is it that i haven't heard any of his stuff

fogza
Contributing Reviewer
April 21st 2022


9753 Comments

Album Rating: 3.5

smoke ring and b'lieve i'm goin' down are pretty awesome neek

Sunnyvale
Staff Reviewer
April 21st 2022


5858 Comments

Album Rating: 3.8

Wakin On A Pretty Daze might be my suggestion for first look, Neeka, think you might dig it

DoofDoof
April 21st 2022


15013 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

I really like the attitude and yes, 'the vibe', of this one



takes everything good from Mac DeMarco, recent Cass McCombs, mellow Neil Young, and J. Mascis and wraps it into a perfect package with his own style/personality as ever



think it's secretly one of his best, there are 6 or 7 beauties hidden on here



'Smoke Ring' just about stays top, probably helped by Kurt editing it down to 46 minutes...

DoofDoof
April 21st 2022


15013 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

'Goin on a Plane' is one of the goat 'end of the pandemic' album openers, c'mon that's a funny way to come back



Also, am I the only person who digs 'Wages of Sin'?

fogza
Contributing Reviewer
April 21st 2022


9753 Comments

Album Rating: 3.5

"'Goin on a Plane' is one of the goat 'end of the pandemic' album openers, c'mon that's a funny way to come back"



come on doof that song sounds terrible

DoofDoof
April 21st 2022


15013 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

'come on doof that song sounds terrible'



I think it is supposed to sound a little terrible, like he's just rediscovered music after a coma

DoofDoof
April 21st 2022


15013 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

'this is the rock equivalent of the new Father John Misty'



nah, this is personality overspill if anything



new FJM was an exercise of stripping away, 'removing the self', 'removing the mask/persona'



it had no personality

fogza
Contributing Reviewer
April 21st 2022


9753 Comments

Album Rating: 3.5

yeah i just don't think the joke is worth it. but fair enough.

fogza
Contributing Reviewer
April 21st 2022


9753 Comments

Album Rating: 3.5

"this is the rock equivalent of the new Father John Misty"



i haven't listened to the new FJM (and i don't intend to) but i can't imagine these two having much in common

DoofDoof
April 21st 2022


15013 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

Colton, I'll revisit 'B'lieve' but I maintain the below tunes make an up to par Vile album"



1. Palace of OKV

2. Exploding Stars

3. Mount Airy

4. Hey Like a Child

5. Jesus on a Wire

6. Say the Word

7. Wages of Sin

8. Stuffed Leopard



That's be a great 45 minute album, but I like the jokes and segues, just seems his most relaxed and goofy album and one that sounds a bit different to me. I think this is his least traditional and 'rock' album maybe

hel9000
April 21st 2022


1528 Comments


going to listen to this eventually but everything i've read about it could pretty much double as a review for Bottle It In, so it's a little hard to get excited about. i have a decently high tolerance for KV but man that album could get really tedious.

DoofDoof
April 21st 2022


15013 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

Some of it is maybe a little tedious I’m not going to lie…but overall good

theBoneyKing
April 21st 2022


24389 Comments

Album Rating: 3.5

Trimming to 60 minutes would maintain the sense of sprawl but leave it a tad more listenable length I guess, but I do enjoy it throughout. Imo he’s kind of going for wallpaper music with a lot of this and it works as that.



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