One thing I love most about Rilo Kiley is the witty lyrical wordplay that frontwoman Jenny Lewis is known for. From the opening lines of “It’s A Hit” it’s hard to tell if Lewis is singing a song or doing a tight ten at the Laugh Factory, waxing poetic about all the idiosyncrasies of human beings and the hypocrisy that is innate in all of us. That knack for storytelling and gripping narration carries itself through an album filled with some truly funny and thought-provoking lines. Lewis always has something compelling to say, no matter the subject.
Rilo Kiley also loves the gratuitous use of various musical instruments, some used a single time on the album. Xylophones, horns, wind chimes et. al pop into songs like a sitcom character, make their point to help advance the broader storyline, and saunter off stage right never to be heard from again. It’s really easy to overdo this approach, but Rilo Kiley is tasteful with it. It never feels like a gimmick or random– these additions have purpose.
There’s a lot of fantastic songs front-to-back on this album, but a few highlights to call out– “Does He Love You” is the clear standout for me, with Lewis telling a story so hopelessly pained it feels like a two-hour musical condensed into 5-minutes. “I Never” has the best vocal performance of the album, with Lewis lovestruck vocals cruising above a 50’s esque Big Band performance from the band. And the guitar on “Absence of God” harkens back to the finger-picking stylings of 70’s folk icon Jim Croce, an absolutely delightful melody that moves with subtle chord shifts.
I would be remiss not to mention Blake Sennett here, the lead guitarist for Rilo Kiley, who just absolutely shreds throughout More Adventurous. There are techniques and note choices in nearly every song that you simply just don’t hear in any other album. I don’t say this lightly– Sennett is one of the most creative guitarists in the 2000’s, both for his significant technical capabilities and ear for deploying melodies that support the song as a whole without taking up too much space.
Standout Songs: “Does He Love You”, “The Absence of God”, “Portions For Foxes”
