Jenny Lewis - The Voyager | Empty Bottle Evenings

Aug102014August 10, 2014August 11, 2014No Commentby Bake

Jenny Lewis | The Voyager

Posted in Music

I have a girl crush on Jenny Lewis. No, that’s not right, I’m a guy. What’s the guy equivalent? A crush? That implies that I want her to have my babies. But this is a non sexual attraction. Although sometimes I would like to make love to her voice. Um, let’s just say I really like Jenny Lewis.

Dating back from her work with Rilo Kiley over a decade ago I’ve been following along. Whether it was the folkier offerings on 2001’s Take-offs and Landings or the 70’s style pop and rock about the cesspool that is L.A. on Under the Blacklight, I’m a Rilo Kiley fan. Not everything they did worked for me, for example: “Give a Little Love” which reminds me of a cheesy, early 90s, Top 40 throwaway. But there were a lot of songs that I found truly impressive. And I’m not impressed by anything. Just ask my girlfriend. That lousy, no good… Anyway, I’ll still listen to “Go Ahead” and “Wires and Waves” even though they’re from 13 years ago because, well, they’re good songs. Or I can’t let go of the past. Don’t judge me. 2002’s The Execution of All Things is an album that I can still listen to straight through, which is a nice reminder that album filler is not an evil necessity. Their last album before Lewis ventured out on her own, More Adventurous, branches out stylistically as the titled implies, resulting in at least a few gems including “It’s a Hit” and the tear inducing tribute to the late Elliot Smith, “It Just Is”.

After 3 albums worth of Rilo Kiley I was hooked. It was the voice. Or maybe it was the red hair. Was it the lyrics? Crap. Did I like the music or was I just drawn in by a crush on Lewis? Conversely, was I just enjoying the music but too embarrassed that I was the only guy I knew that felt the same way? I’d like to think it was solely the musical talent. Maybe I gave the band more of a chance because of the presence of Lewis herself, but there is no way I would keep listening if I didn’t hear great songs. Still I felt like I wasn’t truly committed to Rilo Kiley. It’s like when someone asks if you like a band and you reply “I really love some of their songs”. You see the potential but it’s not exactly what you’re craving. Like a great sandwich with one topping you can’t stand and maybe too little hot sauce. Man, I hate pickles.

Lewis’s first solo album Rabbit Fur Coat put all the ingredients together for my tastes. Her voice was stronger than ever and the accompanying vocals provided by the Watson Twins were perfect. The illustrative lyrics remained as did her charming quirkiness, but there was an additional sense of power coming through. “Big Guns” hits you with some bluegrass, “Rise Up with Fists” brings the indie-folk (as much as that can be brought), and “Born Secular” despite its title might be heard coming from a southern church. The album’s sound was reminiscent of Rilo Kiley’s early work but the overall style was more soul and gospel oriented. Normally that would be something I would steer clear of, but on Rabbit Fur Coat it blended with the indie and alt-country influences so well to make it sound unlike any other album at the time, yet still accessible enough that anyone could give it a spin and enjoy it. It even included a cover of the Traveling Wilbury’s “Handle with Care” that was stellar. I hope Roy Orbinson and George Harrison won’t roll in their graves hearing this, but it may even be better than the original. And if they are rolling in their graves still they’ve got bigger issues than me anyway.

Now I was a Jenny Lewis Fan. (Beats Michael Bolton right?) Unfortunately three years later she dropped the gospel harmonies of the Watson Twins and released her follow up album “Acid Tongue”. Back to hit or miss territory. I loved some songs like “Pretty Bird” and “See Fernando” (check out that jump suit) but unlike most fans I thought the title track was an absolute dud. “Trying My Best to Love You” and “Sing a Song for Them”, well, they just weren’t for me either. I’m Having Fun Now from Lewis’s side project with her husband/musician Johnathan Rice (Jenny and Johnny) was equally unbalanced. “Scissor Runner” “Committed” and “My Pet Snakes” were strong, while I hope I never hear “While Men Are Dreaming” or “New Yorker Cartoon” ever again. Plus who was this dude marrying Jenny Lewis? The fucking nerve of that guy.

Well, that was my voyage (nudge nudge) with Jenny Lewis up until this point. On July 29^th, Lewis released her 3^rd solo studio album, The Voyager. I was intrigued because it was a chance for another new masterpiece like Rabbit Fur Coat, because once you know someone can do something there is always that potential, unlikely as that may be. Worst case scenario, there will be at least a handful of memorable tracks like every previous album she worked on. Not to mention, Ryan Adams was producing it (and Beck!), so I’ve been looking forward to the collaboration for over a year. The Voyager opens with “Head Underwater”, which frankly sounds a lot like Tegan & Sara. “She’s Not Me” sounds like Tegan & Sara if they recorded back in the 70s. Meanwhile, the first single, “Just One of the Guys” is getting a lot of buzz because of the celebrities in the video (Kristen Stewart, Brie Larson, and Anne Hathaway), but unfortunately that’s the most interesting thing about it. Alright, that’s not fair to the lyrics, which are probably the more gripping to her female audience. That’s not a bad thing, but it does seem lyrically and musically that this album may be the wrong dish for me.

“Slippery Slopes” sounds like “Under the Blacklight” only worse while “Late Bloomer” is more of the sound I expected from Lewis/Adams, just…not as satisfying. “You Can’t Out Run them” is okay. (There’s the analysis you come here for.) “The New You” is a forgettable pop song, but not even the experimental disco pop part of Rilo Kiley’s last album but more like “The Angels Hung Around”. It’s the kind of song that forgets the useful parts of country and pop. Didn’t Adams make a career out of teetering on the line of country without embracing the hokey parts of it? Why is he overseeing Lewis’s work down the path of boring and unlistenable? “Aloha and the Three Johns” is enjoyable enough and “Love U Forever” is interesting; interesting in the sense that it has a prominent bass line and heightened vocals for the intro and verses, but the chorus is way too Letters to Cleo. No, I won’t take it back. The title track closes the album. It starts with violin reminiscent of a wedding. Now I know this album is not for me.

I wouldn’t say The Voyager is a bad album. But it is somewhat personally disappointing. My favorite Jenny Lewis songs were the ones that leaned toward alt-country: “With Arms Outstretched”, “See Fernando”, “Big Guns”, and “The Charging Sky”. That was what I was waiting for. Lewis’s voice, some acoustic guitar, harmonica, a little banjo maybe. Some of that pedal steel that Ryan Adams used to love would be great. But they went in a different direction. California pop? Meh. I’ll still follow Lewis to see if the next album is a little more like Emmylou Harris and much less like Haim, but I’ll try not to get my hopes up again. Still when the potential is there… it’s hard to quit you Jenny. Man, I feel like Forrest Gump.