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Sep 25, 2015It hews much more closely to Isaac Brock’s hallucinatory scorched-earth apocalyptic premonitions on Modest Mouse’s finest moments, and musically, it’s the purest distillation of Vile’s idiosyncratic style to date.
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Oct 1, 2015Kurt Vile's sixth LP ups the Philadelphian's creative ante, speckling finger-plucked finesse and Farfisa whimsy into his laid-back blues/folk crunch.
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Sep 23, 2015No one has told the tale of Kurt Vile except Kurt Vile, and there is a diversity of expression on b'lieve I'm goin down.
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Sep 22, 2015His lyrics have grown more sophisticated. Humor was always part of his music, but on b’lieve i’m goin down it’s an animating principle.
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Sep 28, 2015While B’lieve won’t always command attention, that’s part of what makes it such a pleasant experience--Vile freely expresses himself without demanding anything in return.
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Sep 22, 2015It should come as no surprise that follow-up b’lieve i’m goin down... finds Vile continuing to self-deprecate, amble, and sigh, despite the new tier of success. Neither should it be a surprise that all those qualities remain entirely charming.
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Q MagazineOct 6, 2015The hardest-working slacker in rock goes from strength to strength. [Nov 2015, p.108]
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Oct 1, 2015His sixth album is perhaps a smaller-scale, slower burn than 2013’s Wakin’ on a Pretty Daze: the likes of That’s Life, Tho and Stand Inside take a few listens to reveal their unobvious melodic logic, but when they do, they hit hard.
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Sep 28, 2015Now six solo albums in, Vile sounds like no one but himself.
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Sep 25, 2015It's not easy to burrow this deeply inside oneself without succumbing to self-parody, but Vile's saving grace continues to be his knack for penning jokes that are colloquial in tone but cosmic in resonance.
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Sep 25, 2015While he continues to be less elusive, his music continues to thrive from his stark directness.
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Sep 24, 2015Its tendency to slip into trance-like arrangements can make b'lieve feel a bit too sleepy at times, but moments pop up just in time to pull you back.
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Sep 24, 2015B’lieve I’m Goin’ Down is a quietly unexpected album. It feels very much like another Kurt Vile album, but close listening--or even not that close--will reveal some serious blues and some complicated dealing with it.
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Sep 23, 2015While 2013’s effort saw some incredible peaks, Vile’s new album has managed to forge a more consistent collection of songs built around simplicity and a shrugged shoulder approach to lyrics.
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Sep 22, 2015B'lieve I'm Goin Down... is an impeccably arranged album beneath its soothing, sleepy surface, with every element assisting in an illusion of deep, shimmering, and alluring melancholy.
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Sep 21, 2015B’lieve bears a much closer resemblance to Vile’s true breakout, 2011’s Smoke Ring for My Halo. But even though the late-night atmosphere carries over, the haze isn’t quite the same.
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Sep 18, 2015It’s alienation couched in the most genial manner; and along the way, he gets to muse over such matters as speech and silence, mysticism and medicine, relationships and reality, in a beautifully meandering song-cycle.
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Sep 17, 2015Although it doesn't quite live up to the greatness of Smoke Ring, it is a beautiful progression and subtle change in style and subject matter.
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MojoSep 16, 2015This darker edge lends substance to some of Vile's best songs to date. [Oct 2015, p.94]
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UncutSep 16, 2015As the LP continues, you are progressively engrossed. [Oct 2015, p.84]
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Sep 28, 2015Much of b’lieve remains mellower and more cognizant than Vile’s previous works, blending organic and inorganic sounds.
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Sep 29, 2015His latest LP is an endearing collection of slow-burning, dreamy arrangements, which find the singer wistfully contemplating the shifting nature of identity.
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Sep 28, 2015Perhaps it doesn’t thrill the same way his younger records thrilled with their wiliness and exuberance; but perhaps it was disillusioned by that type of thrill, and elected for something a little more reliable.
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Sep 21, 2015Lyrically, he's a seeker, but he could stand to get out more--"My whole world turnin' on the couch," he testifies at one point. But even when Vile's buggin', that couch remains a beautifully chill place to hang.
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Sep 16, 2015B’lieve i’m goin down is further evidence of Vile’s conclusive authenticity, and his position as one of songwriting’s most understated commodities.
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Sep 16, 2015Perhaps a bit too reticent for its own good, B'lieve I'm Goin Down still rewards close listening, steadily developing into an album that's as multifaceted and profound as its mysterious creator.
Awards & Rankings
User score distribution:
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Positive: 40 out of 50
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Mixed: 7 out of 50
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Negative: 3 out of 50
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Sep 29, 2015
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Sep 27, 2015
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May 12, 2022