There seemed to be some post-release backlash against Black Kids on the part of the hipster community; I read a snide comment someplace (maybe Bust magazine?) about how the band didn't pay off on the hype that attended its debut EP release, Wizard of Ahhs. Those hipsters are nuts. This may not be timeless music built to last beyond a single tipsy evening, but on most tipsy evenings, it doesn't need to be exactly right — it just needs to be exactly RIGHT NOW. That's Partie Traumatic.
Acid Tongue, Jenny Lewis (September 23)
Lewis' first album, Rabbit Fur Coat, was nothing less than a revelation — for those familiar with her work with indie darlings Rilo Kiley, this was a more naked, soulful iteration of the singer. Incredible songwriting combined with spacious arrangements to create a folk-rock-soul hybrid that delivered passion, bile, and beauty in equal measure.
Acid Tongue strikes me as a more confident, accomplished work than Rabbit Fur Coat, and I'm not exactly sure why. I think it has a bigger sound, for sure, with more of a country rock feel than a folk vibe; even the ballads are more elaborately arranged, with piano and strings carrying several of the more beautiful tracks.
If Rabbit Fur Coat was Lewis exploring her own creative identity and ability to develop her own work, then Acid Tongue finds Lewis in full command of her abilities as a singer, instrumentalist, and producer. Tracks like "See Fernando," "Carpetbaggers" and the mini-epic "The Next Messiah" (clocking in at 8 minutes plus) are not the work of an artist finding her way; they're the work of an artist who has found her way, and knows exactly where she is going. It's not a stretch to call Jenny Lewis one of the finest songwriters of her generation (whatever THAT means; she just writes really, really good), and if she's putting together work this accomplished on only her second solo effort, she has an amazing and beautiful career ahead of her.
Way To Normal, Ben Folds (September 30)
This is maybe the first Ben Folds album I'm appreciating more as a collection of songs than as a full proper album; it's not really coalescing for me yet, although the tracks share a sonic mood that fits the tone of the lyrics quite well — sharp, brittle, and broken.
In my original review, I pointed out the disconnect between what Ben told us via his PR materials ("This isn't a bitter divorce record! No, really") and the content of the album itself (the lead single, after all, is titled "You Don't Know Me," with lines like "...we could be together for so long and never know, never care, what goes on in the other one's head...").
Article comments
1 - Josh Hathaway
Nice job, Matt. I never really got hooked on the Lewis record despite efforts in that direction. It's solid but I just couldn't bring myself to love it. The R.E.M. disc, on the other hand, was excellent. The new stuff really came to life in concert.