Jenny Lewis - 'Acid Tongue' (Rough Trade) Released 22/09/08

Stepping outside of the Rilo Kiley limelight in 2006 to release her debut solo album Jenny Lewis collaborated with The Watson Twins on ‘Rabbit Fur Coat’. The album was a brilliant surprise –on a par with, and arguably even surpassing, even her greatest moments as lead singer of Rilo Kiley. The album showed more alt folk leanings with impeccable storytelling and harmonies combining on some of her strongest songs.

This album has some similarities to her previous release. For one, it’s another collaborative effort: The Watson Twins may have departed, taking their emotive harmonies with them but in their place comes a host of friends including M Ward, Zooey Deschanel and Jonathan Rice. Jenny’s sister also takes a turn at backing vocals and her father Eddie Gordon pops up with bass harp in tow. This crowd of friends and family helps to contribute to another shared quality with her previous release: it feels endearingly informal, live and natural. Aided by the fact all of Jenny’s vocals were recorded live and the analog-only album was completed within three weeks, on the finest tracks it often feels just like a group of friends coming together and having a jam. It just happens that the lead of that group of friends has one of the most beautiful voices and a talent for wry and expressive lyrics. Indeed, Jenny’s vocals are as beautiful as ever, sparkling and shimmering over her most country and soul influenced songs and adding a hazy glow to the trippier moments such as ‘Bad Man’s World’. They are affective but never forced.

The opening songs feel underwhelming - maybe partly to blame is the habit to drag out hooks longer then they need to be such as on opener ‘Black Sand’ and the nine-minute long ‘The Next Messiah’. All the songs sound pleasant none the less but it is a while into the album before we get moments of proper brilliance, such as the album’s title track ‘Acid Tongue’ – which feels the closest to her previous solo material. It’s wholly vocal driven and one of the sparsest tracks here – and one of the most effective. Her most impressive collab comes on ‘Carpetbaggers’ with Elvis Costello sharing vocal duties. It’s a high-energy track and one of the most country influenced here – qualities shared with other highlight ‘See Fernando’.

‘Trying My Best To Love You’ and ‘Jack Killed Mum’ both have a hint of classic soul in melody and harmonies and along with ‘Sing A Song For Them’ ensure the album ends on a high point.