Having evaporated from music relevancy in recent months, Kurt Vile flickers back into action with breezy new single ‘Loading Zones’.

Directed by Drew Saracco, ‘Loading Zones’ showcases the singer-songwriter embarking on a solitary parking feud against his hometown of Philadelphia. Incorporating the acting abilities of Kevin Corrigan (Pineapple Express/Superbad) and Pissed Jeans frontman Matt Korvette, Vile scurries around the city narrowly avoiding parking tickets throughout his journey.

It’s the first solo release since 2015’s widely celebrated b’lieve i’m goin down and fits seamlessly into the mould of a stereotypical Kurt Vile record. Sonically speaking, ‘Loading Zones’ is faultlessly recorded and mastered. From the outset, he unveils segments of folk and new wave that steadily encompasses into whirling solo. The track signifies the start of a new era, with the track exuding a more joyous and buoyant feeling. A substantial shift from the reflectional and solemn effort of his last solo offering.

His ever-growing discography emanates with lyricism that somehow feels simultaneously adventurous and personal at the same time. Vocally, Vile’s singing voice coincides with his own musical pathway, standing tall as an example of originality rather than to segue into obscureness following an unnatural angle. His voice canters along in conversation over mid-tempo folk rock throughout the three-and-a-half-minutes, the atypical Kurt Vile audio watermark.

Words: Matthew Thomas