Pierre de Reeder: The Way That It Was

Anyone who's been predicting Rilo Kiley's demise

has a few logs to throw onto the fire, not the least of which is the number of

side and solo projects that the four members have tended to over the years. (If

they're wondering why their day job isn't as commercially popular as it should

be, perhaps they should note how many side projects Coldplay has distracted

itself with.) Add to the list Pierre de Reeder's The Way That It Was, a pleasant-enough solo

debut that finds Rilo's bassist traveling down a timeless singer-songwriter

path far removed from the pop-and-rock hopscotch found on last year's excellent

Under The Blacklight. De Reeder's bandmates are among those who help flesh things

out, and some moments seem directly influenced by his main gig, but overall, The

Way That It Was

sounds like it was made by a guy with a specific vision and some things to get

off his chest. There's a maturity here that can come off as either sage or

snoozy, depending on how you feel about songs called "Shame On Love" and "This

Foolish Heart," a guy sharing an open letter to his daughter, and lyrics like "Used

to be a boy, but where is he now I've grown up somehow." Sadly, in the world

of indie rock, older and wiser rarely adds up to memorable.