''Bottle It In'' is the eighth studio album by American musician
Kurt Vile
Kurt Samuel Vile (born January 3, 1980) is an American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and record producer. He is known for his solo work, music released under the name "Kurt Vile and The Violators," and as the former lead guitarist of ...
, released on October 12, 2018 through
Matador Records
Matador Records is an independent record label, with a roster of mainly indie rock, but also punk rock, experimental rock, alternative rock, and electronic acts.
History
Matador was created in 1989 by Chris Lombardi in his New York City ap ...
.
It features contributions from
Kim Gordon
Kim Althea Gordon (born April 28, 1953) is an American musician, singer and songwriter best known as the bassist, guitarist, and vocalist of alternative rock band Sonic Youth. Born in Rochester, New York, she was raised in Los Angeles, Califor ...
,
Cass McCombs
Cass McCombs (born November 13, 1977) is an American singer-songwriter.
Career
McCombs has played in numerous bands in the Bay Area during the 1990s before relocating to New York City. He released his debut EP '' Not the Way E.P.'' (2002), d ...
,
Stella Mozgawa
Stella Mozgawa is an Australian drummer and record producer, best known as a member of the indie rock band Warpaint, with whom she has recorded four studio albums. Alongside her work with Warpaint, Mozgawa is one half of the electronica duo Bel ...
of
Warpaint, and
Mary Lattimore
Mary Lattimore (born September 11, 1980) is an American classically trained harpist based in Los Angeles, California. In addition to her solo work and collaborations with fellow Philadelphia musician Jeff Zeigler, she has performed with indie mu ...
.
The album was preceded by the singles "
Loading Zones
"Loading Zones" is a song by American indie rock musician Kurt Vile, released as the first single from his 2018 album '' Bottle It In''. Though the song's title refers to Vile's bragging about his skill at parking in restricted areas without rece ...
" and "Bassackwards".
Songs
"Hysteria" was written en route to a recording session.
Both "Hysteria" and "Cold Was the Wind" reference Vile's
fear of flying
Fear of flying is the fear of being on an aircraft, such as an airplane or helicopter, while it is in flight. It is also referred to as flying anxiety, flying phobia, flight phobia, aviophobia, aerophobia, or pteromerhanophobia (although aero ...
.
[
Vile started writing "Mutinies" as a teenager, expanding it and rewriting sections numerous times over the ensuing decades.][
]
Recording
The album was recorded with various producers in numerous studios and cities across the United States in between Vile's touring schedule.[ Vile recounted: "I'd go into the studio straight from tour for a day or so, sometimes by myself, sometimes with a band. Go on trips in between or combine different things, like tour into the studio, into meeting my family, into travelling across the country and back into the studio. Combining all things, not compartmentalising as much, keeping it all like everyday life."][
]
Critical reception
According to review aggregator Metacritic
Metacritic is an American website that aggregates reviews of films, television shows, music albums, video games, and formerly books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created ...
, ''Bottle It In'' has received an average score of 78 out of 100 based on reviews from 24 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". Sam Sodomsky of ''Pitchfork
A pitchfork or hay fork is an agricultural tool used to pitch loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves. It has a long handle and usually two to five thin tines designed to efficiently move such materials.
The term is also applie ...
'' deemed the highlight of the album to be second single "Bassackwards", which he called "10 minutes of warped, psychedelic folk-rock, like a long sigh in the face of existential dread". Sodomsky noted that the album has a loose structure with "more accessible tracks up front and a meditative, somewhat indulgent back-half", and summarized that the album feels like Vile is lost in an "in-between moment".
Track listing
All songs written by Kurt Vile with the exception of "Rollin' with the Flow" which was written by Jerry Hayes.
Notes
* "(Bottle Back)" is stylized in lowercase.
Personnel
*Kurt Vile – lead and backing vocals, electric and acoustic guitars (except on tracks 8, 10, and 13), keyboards (except on tracks 1 and 4), harmonica (tracks 1 and 5), tambourine (tracks 2, 9, and 12), banjo (track 10)
The Violators
*Rob Laakso
Rob Laakso (April 16, 1979 – May 4, 2023) was an American musician, record producer and engineer, best known as the recording partner of indie rock musician Kurt Vile and as a multi-instrumentalist in his backing band the Violators. Laakso als ...
– bass, synthesizer (track 1), backing vocal (track 1), drum machine (tracks 2 and 9), drums (track 2), electric and acoustic guitars (tracks 2, 3, 6, 8, and 13), strings (track 6), sequencer (track 7), percussion (track 12)
*Kyle Spence – drums (tracks 1, 3, and 6), percussion (track 3)
*Jesse Trbovich – electric guitar (tracks 1, 3, 6, 8, and 10)
Additional musicians
*Joe Kennedy – keyboards (tracks 3, 4, 6, and 7), electric guitar (track 9), backing vocal (track 1)
*Mary Lattimore
Mary Lattimore (born September 11, 1980) is an American classically trained harpist based in Los Angeles, California. In addition to her solo work and collaborations with fellow Philadelphia musician Jeff Zeigler, she has performed with indie mu ...
– harp (tracks 4, 6, and 8)
*Barbara Gruska
The Belle Brigade was an American vocal and instrumental duo from Los Angeles, California, consisting of siblings Barbara Gruska (born c. 1983) on guitar, drums, and vocals, and Ethan Gruska (born c. 1989) on guitar, piano, and vocals. The duo r ...
– drums (tracks 4 and 9), percussion (track 9)
*Stella Mozgawa
Stella Mozgawa is an Australian drummer and record producer, best known as a member of the indie rock band Warpaint, with whom she has recorded four studio albums. Alongside her work with Warpaint, Mozgawa is one half of the electronica duo Bel ...
– drums (tracks 5, 8, and 11), percussion (track 5), backing vocal (track 5), bass (track 8), synthesizer (track 8)
* Vince Nudo – drums (track 7), percussion (track 7)
*Kyle Crane
Kyle Crane is an American drummer. He is best known for his work with producer Daniel Lanois. He performed as Miles Teller's drum double for the film ''Whiplash (2014 film), Whiplash''.
Biography
Crane is the son of a United States Coast Guard, ...
– drums (track 10)
*Farmer Dave Scher – backing vocal (track 5), keyboards (track 9), lap steel guitar
The lap steel guitar, also known as a Hawaiian guitar or lap slide guitar, is a type of steel guitar without pedals that is typically played with the instrument in a horizontal position across the performer's lap. Unlike the usual manner of pla ...
(track 10)
*Kim Gordon
Kim Althea Gordon (born April 28, 1953) is an American musician, singer and songwriter best known as the bassist, guitarist, and vocalist of alternative rock band Sonic Youth. Born in Rochester, New York, she was raised in Los Angeles, Califor ...
– acoustic guitar feedback (track 9)
* Eric D. Johnson – backing vocal (track 1)
*Margaret Yen – backing vocal (track 1)
*Farrah Katina – backing vocal (track 1)
*Robert Robinson – backing vocals (tracks 1 and 3)
*Deb Warfield – backing vocal (track 6)
*Cass McCombs
Cass McCombs (born November 13, 1977) is an American singer-songwriter.
Career
McCombs has played in numerous bands in the Bay Area during the 1990s before relocating to New York City. He released his debut EP '' Not the Way E.P.'' (2002), d ...
– backing vocal (track 8)
*Jess Wolfe
Jessica Wolfe is an American singer, songwriter, bass synth player and actress from Los Angeles, California. She is a founding member along with Holly Laessig of the indie pop musical group Lucius.
Life and early career
Jessica Wolfe was raised ...
– backing vocal (track 10)
*Holly Laessig – backing vocal (track 10)
*Hetty Marriot-Brittan – backing vocal (track 11)
Production
*Tracks 1, 3, and 6 produced by Kurt Vile, the Violators, and Peter Katis
Peter Katis is an American Grammy Award-winning record producer, audio engineer, mixer, and musician.
Katis is best known for working with alternative and indie rock bands. He works primarily out of his own residential studio, Tarquin Studios, ...
; mixed by Peter Katis
*Tracks 2, 7, and 10 produced by Kurt Vile, Rob Laasko, and Peter Katis; mixed by Peter Katis
*Track 4 produced by Kurt Vile and Shawn Everett
Shawn Everett (born July 6, 1982) is a Canadian music engineer and producer best known for his work with Alabama Shakes, Kacey Musgraves, The War on Drugs, The Killers, and Julian Casablancas. Everett has won six Grammy Awards.
Early life
Ev ...
; mixed by Shawn Everett
*Tracks 5, 8, and 11 produced and mixed by Rob Schnapf
Rob Schnapf is an American record producer. He was the co-producer (along with Tom Rothrock) of Elliott Smith's albums '' Either/Or'', '' XO'' (on which he also played guitar on the song " Baby Britain"), '' Figure 8'' and ''From a Basement o ...
*Tracks 9 and 12 produced by Kurt Vile, Rob Laasko, and Shawn Everett; mixed by Shawn Everett
*Track 13 produced by Kurt Vile; mixed by Rob Schnapf
Charts
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
References
{{Authority control
2018 albums
Kurt Vile albums
Matador Records albums