Rilo Kiley - Under the Blacklight

I have a huge crush on Jenny Lewis. I have tried to fight this fact for a long time, but basically I just want her to be my girlfriend. As a result, I am far from the most objective of listeners when it comes to Rilo Kiley records. Despite my bias however, I think their new record, Under The Blacklight, is pretty damn good.

Admittedly, the record starts slow. The opening track, "Silver Lining," is bland at best. The chorus is unimaginative, and she really doesn't even seem to be trying with the vocals. The album stays slow for 3 songs, including the single "The Moneymaker" which sounds like some kind of watered down Yeah Yeah Yeahs outtake. Up to that point, the record sounds like all the worst parts of More Adventurous without the novelty of hearing the band move in a new direction.

Fortunately, as "Moneymaker" ends, the synth comes in at the start of "Breakin' Up," and the record takes off. If it weren't for the vocals, it could almost pass for a Rapture track, but Lewis's unique voice elevates it past mere mimicry. The the chorus kicks in and suddenly there's Supremes esque backing vocals out of nowhere. It nicely sets the tone for the high points on the rest of the record.

The title track is slightly too ballady, despite the synth line which I really want to love, and "Dreamworld" is Blake Sennett trying really hard to ruin anyone's fond memories of his songs on previous records, but it's worth the wait for "Dejalo." There's an infusion of world music in this song, the percussion and guitars working throughout to take you away from the typical "I am Jenny Lewis and I sing songs about Los Angeles and feelings" that everyone is so used to. The song also proves just how good Rilo Kiley is at songs with hand claps.

The driving rhythm and horns of "15" come next, followed by "Smoke Detector" and "The Angels Hung Around," both of which are just Rilo Kiley songs. Nothing exceptionally special about them, but not bad, by any means. The record closes with "Give a Little Love," a far sparser song than anything else on the album. Considering the intensity of most of the songs, it's a bit like they wanted to just give us a chance to lie back and breathe.

I've heard this album is based on the Porn Industry in Van Nuys, California, and that they're trying to make some sort of statement. Unfortunately, the lyrics are weaker on this album than anything else I've heard Lewis sing, so the message is mostly lost. It's refreshing though, to see a band that is so established in the hearts and minds of their fanbase take such a drastic change of direction. It doesn't hold a candle to Execution of All Things, but hearing the same thing again and again gets boring. They took a risk on this one, smooth production, catchy hooks and all, and I think it paid off.