Rilo Kiley
The Execution of All Things
Jenny Lewis is a singer who women will actually love to love, as opposed to the throngs of female vocalists who make ladies cringe at their cheapened lusty vocals and played-out high-octave shrieks. Lewis displays matured talent and range on Rilo Kiley’s latest effort, “The Execution of All Things,” without forcing it. Her voice plays up the best of the fuzz-pop instrumental parts by letting them take the lead and riding them through the ups and downs with a natural grace.
Rilo Kiley carefully puts out pretty and intimate songs that glance inward and point fingers at the same time. There is just enough dabbling with silly sound effects and offbeat accents to keep them rooted respectfully in the indie realm.
A testimony to the band’s ability to snag the listener is that one can actually feel the motion of the music traveling through a mind on “Hail to Whatever You Found…,” fully engaging the receiver. Tag-team singer and guitarist Blake Sennett has come a long way on this album, too, sounding much more confident, if still a bit too much like Elliott Smith to be considered any kind of pioneer on the sensitive boy singer front.