Constant Hitmaker

Personnel: Kurt Vile (vocals, guitar); Sore Eros (guitar); Sam Vile.
A lo-fi psychedelic troubadour in the spirit of Syd Barrett, Skip Spence, and, more appropriately, Robert Pollard, Philadelphia's Kurt Vile understands that a great pop song takes on a whole new radiance when caked in celestial gunk. Though clearly part of a long and proud lineage of deliciously tweaked songwriters that dates back to the early '60s, Vile arrives with his own distinctive sound on his debut, CONSTANT HITMAKER. There is a summery effervescence to tracks such "Freeway," "Deep Sea," and "Don't Get Cute," while the cosmic folk of "Space Forklift" recalls a joint meeting between Lee Hazlewood and Sonic Boom. Vile isn't necessarily breathing new life into the bedroom psych tradition, but he's keeping it very much alive and healthy.