Jenny Lewis: Acid Tongue

Jenny Lewis' last two releases—her solo

debut, Rabbit Fur Coat, and Rilo Kiley's Under The Blacklight—have earned her the

most attention of her career, and also the most scrutiny from longtime Rilo

Kiley fans wary of the new directions the band's frontwoman has been exploring.

Unfortunately for those still hoping for an old-school Rilo Kiley redux, Lewis'

new Acid Tongue

is the sonic midpoint of those two releases, matching Blacklight's freewheeling,

schizophrenic vibe with Fur Coat's alt-country foundations. For those ready to

move with Lewis down those paths, however, the new one is a confident amalgam

of tracks that sparkle, stew, and storm.

The element binding sparse, prettily forlorn

tracks ("Bad Man's World," "Pretty Bird") with rollicking, gospel-tinged larks

like "Jack Killed Mom" is the live-tracked, all-analog recording, which gives

the album the warm, communal appeal of a no-pressure, see-what-sticks jam

session. And Lewis invites plenty of friends into the studio with her,

including Elvis Costello on the bouncy duet "Carpetbaggers" and Johnathan Rice

on the nine-minute "The Next Messiah," which makes up for its indulgent

three-part medley with chugging acoustic guitar and a barnburner of a chorus.

Lewis' explorations don't always gel, though, particularly when she dabbles in

falsetto chirping on the forgettable "Trying My Best To Love You" and the

lackluster "Black Sand." Acid Tongue is at its best—as on the standout title

track—when Lewis keeps her voice and songwriting as unforced and natural

as the recording, grounding the album's many digressions with the heartfelt

enthusiasm of a singer who's exactly where she wants to be.