Kurt Vile – Childish Prodigy

Bruce Springsteen and Tom Petty were referenced in reviews of last year’s compilation Constant Hitmaker, but on the evidence of this record Kurt Vile is a far more interesting proposition than that. It's not that comparisons to two totems of American singer-songwriting are a bad thing, just that this Philly-based ingénue’s particular brand of craftsmanship is that little bit more beguiling.

Proceedings start conservatively with Hunchback – a bombastic slice of sludgy rock that takes its cues from The Jesus and Mary Chain. Despite recording the songs with a band, Vile has cultivated a home made aesthetic which brings a slightly ethereal feel to the table on bluesy tracks like Blackberry Song and Dead Alive. But less traditional influences lurk elsewhere, especially on the propulsive centrepiece Freak Train, which summons up the spirit of Krautrock heroes Neu! With all due respect to the Boss, that is a direction he has never been likely to go.