Acid Tongue

Plenty of the most celebrated writers of the past century, from William Faulkner and Graham Greene to Michael Chabon and John Banville, have found cause or need to periodically interrupt their more individualized pursuits and produce work that strictly adhered to a certain niche such as horror, mystery, or sci-fi. For such authors, genre-bound detours often function as tie-loosening fodder-- playful, low-stakes, persona-dodging fare. As one of indie rock's preeminent lyricists and a fascinating personality in her own right, Jenny Lewis has similarly been trying her hand at already regimented styles, particularly over the course of her two most recent albums, the 2007 release Under the Blacklight from her band, Rilo Kiley, as well as her newest solo effort, Acid Tongue. Lewis made her name with highly conversational indie pop that played up her keen lyrical and vocal facilities for conveying humor, sexiness, and humanity, yet these latest recordings have found the former child actress retreating into classic soul, pop, and rock roles that inevitably mute her most appealing idiosyncracies and predilections. What separates Lewis from the aforementioned novelists is the fear that these moves represent a significant shift in artistic direction as opposed to a momentary diversion.

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