Singer, songwriter and all-around indie rock goddess Jenny Lewis, who usually fronts the terrific L.A. band Rilo Kiley, took a break from her bandmates and released this incredibly enjoyable little solo record this year, indulging -- in addition to her usual pop sensibilities -- some of the rootsier inclinations that longtime fans have always suspected she had. Backed by Americana duo Chandra and Leigh Watson and an excellent cast of musicians, Jenny reaffirms what the last Rilo Kiley record (and my favorite of 2004), More Adventurous, plainly indicated -- that she is among the best pop songwriters working today, with a voice that makes men (and a fair number of women) swoon. (It doesn't hurt that she has an adorable personality, and is a total babe.) This record is a gem, and strong from start to finish, with songs that cross all sort of genre lines -- from folk, to country, to soul -- but consistently maintain Jenny's undeniable charm and showcase her prodigious talents as a writer and singer. If she continues to make great rock records with her band, but steps aside every few years for a solo outing like this, we're in for a lot of exceptional music.LISTEN / DOWNLOAD: Rise Up With Fists, a little blue-eyed soul, by a pretty redhead from Los Angeles.
3 comments:
There is a really nice live show you can stream from her appearance on NPR's All Things Considered. It is over an hour and just excellent!
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5228500
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6254742
No, wait, try this one, it may be the same link, but this one has the setlist so you can jump around in it.
yep, i have this live show. that npr series has become a really reliable source for good live recordings by cool artists. wilco, neko case, sufjan stevens and others all performed on that series in'06.
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