Jenny Lewis with the Watson Twins
Rabbit Fur Coat
Team Love
By David Chiu
Americana music doesn’t get this earthier and deep than on the solo record of Rilo Kiley’s Jenny Lewis. With the in-synch vocal harmonies of the Watson twins behind her, Lewis crafts a gorgeous blend of country, folk, Southern Gothic (the waltz-like “Born Secular”), and gospel/hymnal music (“Run Devil Run”). “Happy” recalls vintage Patsy Cline, while the upbeat and sly “The Charging Sky” is something Lucinda Williams could have covered. One of the standouts, “Rise Up with Fists,” is the type of track that has crossover appeal. Lewis takes on the lead vocals on a relatively faithful cover of the Traveling Wilburys’s “Handle With Care” with Bright Eyes’ Conor Oberst and Death Cab For Cutie’s Ben Gibbard. The key ingredient is Lewis’ rich vocals that can be buoyant in one instance and hauntingly mesmerizing the next.
