Mr. Vile, age 40, is based in Philadelphia, and he released his first solo album in 2008. The title of Mr. Vile’s EP is a play on Mr. Prine’s 1986 composition “Speed of the Sound of Loneliness,” and it begins with a cover of the song. Mr. Vile’s take, cut in 2016, glides along like a reliable automobile coasting down an empty highway, with muted drums, strummed acoustic guitar and cheerful piano accents. Yo La Tengo, with Mr. Kaplan singing in his highest and most delicate register, captures that feeling of youthful innocence and adventure. They are unlikely to make year-end lists, and they will have nowhere near the impact of Kurt Vile’s and Yo La Tengo’s full-length albums.

Source: Wall Street Journal October 07, 2020 21:45 UTC