As you saw in my previous post about my Christmas list, I requested Acid Tongue by Jenny Lewis, an album which I had wanted for quite some time. Well, I received it for Christmas from my boyfriend, and thank God I did. I have been listening to it non-stop.
Now, this may be a biased opinion, as I am a fan of much of Lewis' work. However, previous to listening to the album in its entirety, I was skeptical. I had heard mixed reviews from people I knew, as well as from media sources. Rolling Stone gave this album 4/5 stars, whereas Pitchfork Media gave it 6/10 stars. Lewis' clearly has a wide range of work to compare, as lead singer of Rilo Kiley, as well as a previous solo album, backed by the Watson twins in 2006.
Rilo Kiley has to be one of my favorite bands of all time. I had the pleasure of seeing them play this summer at Bonnaroo, and even though it was not a stand out performance, it was a good show because I could really feel how much passion Lewis' puts into her music by her intense vocals. Rilo Kiley has a spectrum of music, ranging from typical indie-rock with songs like "Does He Love You," to their last album (Under the Blacklight), which received criticism for being too heavily based in pop.
Lewis functions as the heart of Rilo Kiley, with bandmate and former boyfriend Blake Sennett. During a break from Rilo Kiley however, both Sennett and Lewis decided to persue side-projects. Lewis recorded the album Rabbit Fur Coat in 2006 with sister-folk duo The Watson Twins. This album was heavily folk-based, an unlikely precursor to Under the Blacklight with Rilo Kiley in 2007. One of Blacklight's singles "Silver Lining" is a soulful ballad with a 1960's vibe, even invoking a gospel chorus.
This soulful sound carried over to Acid Tongue. Lewis even wrote the album's title track following the production of Blacklight, and intended to put the song on that album, but encountered issues and just decided to record a second solo effort.
Acid Tongue opens with two ballads filled with Lewis' heartfelt language of a love lost in "Black Sand" and "Pretty Bird." However, the album really picks up with the third track, "The Next Messiah." Lewis branches out into a classic rock, gritty yet natural sound, which continues through the rest of the album. An upbeat song about blues on the country side, the song is 8 minutes and 45 seconds of raw emotion accompanied by a strong beat and catchy guitar riff that feels like I should be digging this out on vinyl from my parent's basement.
"Carpetbaggers" is also a stand-out track from the album. A duet with Elvis Costello, the song invokes a June Carter-Cash/Johnny Cash feel with it's country feel from its guitar riffs ad up-to-no-good-lyrics and powerful harmonies between Lewis and Costello. It's the most feel-good song on the album and will be on repeat for days.
Lewis' emotion is felt strongest in the song "Trying My Best To Love You," about a love attempting to conquer all. The song builds from Lewis' solo voice to add strings and back-up vocals. Following this is "Jack Killed Mom," a narrative song about a boy with an overprotective mother, whom the son eventually kills. Once again invoking a gospel-esque back vocal, it is the catchiest chorus on the entire album that reminds one of early Janis Joplin.
There are few albums that one listens to in their life and just feels as though the artist has done something to be proud of. There is a certain feeling that a great album invokes in a person. Acid Tongue invoked the same feeling in me that I felt when I first heard Wildflowers by Tom Petty. Although I'm perfectly content with my life, something about these albums just makes you want to pack up and hit the road, in search of a new life and new adventure. I've never been one to take a liking to the South, but Acid makes me want to pack it all up, turn my back on what I got, drive down South and seek a new life and a new love.
Regardless of what an album makes you want to do, I think it's really just the fact that an album can make you want to do something. It's the fact that the artist has created something so identifiable to someone that they feel, and think and they will go back to that album time after time to recreate that feeling that they felt upon first listen. Music albums can be audible photo albums, and Acid Tongue truly is.
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