Days of Being Wild

So far, Matt Kivel’s decision to focus on his solo albums and forego involvement in Princeton or Gap Dream has proven to be the right decision. 2013’s Double Exposure had all the allure and intimacy that a solo album usually involves, while the follow-up—2014’s Days of Being Wild—splits the difference between true solo work and that of a small band. “The First Time” starts acoustically, pointing out the fact that the album was recorded by Paul Oldham in a small shed-studio in Los Angeles. However, with “Underwater” onward, the approach often settles on additional instrumentation, with Oldham sitting in on bass and Dave Kitz adding drums to two tracks. “Open Road” turns up the guitar distortion, creating a Sun Kil Moon–type acoustic-gone-electric feel. “Insignificance” nails a new wave pop vibe, while “Little Girls” evokes a lush but lo-fi somber pop. Kivel states in the press notes that he’d been listening to classic rock radio at the time of making this album; the title track, “Blonde Boy,” and “You and Only I” have accessible pop melodies that make his claim sound plausible.