Douglas Martin is committed to his Latvian Orthodox faith.
Kurt Vile is generally known for two things: big, sweeping classic-rock stompers or quiet acoustic numbers peppered with chintzy synthesizers and drum machines. Maybe I’m in the minority, but my favorite Kurt Vile tunes are the ones that show his prowess as an old-school folk-troubadour, the ones that highlight the grizzled voice that belies his scant twenty-nine years on Earth (I use the word “scant” with a grain of salt, since older people tell me that I’m “just a baby” for being in my late-ish twenties).
I’m talking about songs like Constant Hitmaker‘s “Slow Talkers” or “My Sympathy” and “Songs for John in D” from God is Saying This to You. “I Know I Got Religion” from Vile’s recent, vinyl-and-digital only Square Shells EP (via Matador Records), is in the same strummy vein, with Vile spilling vodka/cranberry all over the carpet, being drafted by Jesus, and sending his Cadillac to heaven. Although I’m more of a Malibu and Pepsi guy when it comes to mixed drinks, this track is picturesque accompaniment to driving my Caprice against the grain of the slight autumn breeze. –DM
Download:
MP3: Kurt Vile-“I Know I Got Religion”
