CD Review

Title: Acid Tongue

Artist: Jenny Lewis

Label: Warner Bros. Records

Release Date: Sep 30 2008

Reviewed by: Tessa Perkins (Vancouver Correspondent)

This is the second solo album from Lewis, who was a founding member of indie rock band Rilo Kiley. With a mixture of influences and a simple, acoustic sound, Acid Tongue sounds experimental and inventive.

Although generally classed as rock, the album exhibits evidence of influences from country, to folk, to blues, and seems to mix them all together to create quite a retro sound. Most of the tracks are mellow with soft vocals ad repetitive lyrics and instrumentation. One song that stands out is the single, “Acid Tongue” which has a very country sound and includes a choir of voices in the background for the chorus. 

All the various styles that are working together on this album give it a unique sound which has the potential to attract a varied audience. Lewis is a true musician with a great personal style and versatile vocal abilities; I just think she needs to settle into a more defined and personal sound rather than talking all these genres at once.     

1. Black Sand 2:53

2. Pretty Bird 3:46

3. The Next Messiah 8:47

4. Bad Man's World 3:40

5. Acid Tongue 3:54

6. See Fernando 3:33

7. Godspeed 4:32

8. Carpetbaggers 3:33

9. Trying My Best to Love You 3:07

10. Jack Killed Mom 5:27

11. Sing a Song for Them 4:09