On her 2006 solo debut Rabbit Fur Coat, Rilo Kiley frontwoman Jenny Lewis glided through an Appalachian dream world and convinced us to follow. On her new disc, Acid Tongue, the singer/songwriter periodically stomps her boots while exploring similar terrain. The journey just got a lot more interesting.
Acid Tongue includes plenty of quirky meditations on lost love that recall her previous adventure: the indie folk title track; the strings-laden torch song "Trying My Best to Love You;" the white soul album closer "Sing a Song For Them." But then there's the guitar fury of the nearly 9-minute "The Next Messiah," the heavy blues blowout "Fernando"and the twang rocker "Carpetbaggers," a duet with Elvis Costello.
These well-placed jolts give Acid Tongue greater balance — a component that's lacking on Rabbit Fur Coat. Lewis shows that her delicately seductive vocals are more versatile than her debut suggested. But in doing so, she never loses the innocent charm that wooed listeners the first time around.
Acid Tongue, will be released via Warner Bros. on Sept. 23 but has been available for streaming via Lewis' MySpace site since Sept. 9.
This article appears in Sep 10-16, 2008.