Maybe it’s just me, but I can’t get behind Jenny Lewis’ solo stuff.
The Rilo Kiley frontwoman seems to fall back on country music tropes on 2006’s “Rabbit Fur Coat” and its follow-up, the September release “Acid Tongue.” She has a great voice, but somehow, her lyrics and melodies feel more powerful when she’s collaborating with Blake Lewis, one of Rilo Kiley’s chief songwriters.
Granted, those two seem more and more at odds. On Rilo Kiley’s latest album, their songwriting partnership was almost absent, with most tracks written solely by Lewis, to the detriment of the album.
Oh well. Check out one of her newer songs at the bottom of this three video rundown.
Death Cab – “Cath…” – Live on “The Tonight Show”
I’m still not sold on this song by Death Cab, even if the longtime fans point to it as a highlight from “Narrow Stairs,” the group’s May album. Still, Ben Gibbard and friends have good delivery, turning the midtempo rocker into something a bit more jittery during their performance on Leno.
Girl Talk – “In Step” – Video mash-up
If you still haven’t heard Girl Talk’s excellent new album “Feed the Animals,” you really need to get with the times. The guy (Girl Talk is one man) mashes together tons of samples to create candy for the ears. Unsurprisingly, some YouTuber decided to mash together the videos for all the clips he uses. On this track, we get glimpses of Roy Orbison, Nirvana, Salt-n-Pepa, Ludacris and the Beach Boys.
Jenny Lewis with Elvis Costello – “Carpetbaggers” – Live on “The Late Show”
Costello’s left of center delivery definitely adds something to an otherwise by-the-numbers country track off of Lewis’ latest, “Acid Tongue.”
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