Acid Tongue (Reprise)

Both Rilo Kiley and Jenny Lewis' solo persona cultivate a post-psychedelic '70s vibe. The Fleetwood Mac/Stevie Nicks comparisons often made are not unfounded. Her second solo effort, Acid Tongue -- produced by Lewis herself, boyfriend Johnathon Rice, Dave Scher and Jason Lader-- is an interesting mix of faux-Southern singer/songwriter twang, Motown soul and Los Angeles care-free, hedonistic, hipsterdom. Some of Lewis' lyrics have a nursery rhyme quality to them, some rely heavily on repetition, and others ("Acid Tongue," "Jack Killed Mom") demonstrate an entertaining narrative ability. The verses to "See Fernando" are reminiscent of Dylan's "Subterranean Homesick Blues." On "Try My Best to Love You," she manages to channel a young Diana Ross, while cooing about how "they make it so hard" on her and her baby. One wonders how much of what she writes is truth and how much of it is just words that sound good together and evoke certain feelings, emotions. Has she really gone down to Dixie and "dropped acid on her tongue?" Either way, it works. Guests include Zooey Deschanel, M.Ward, Chris Robinson, and even Lewis' father and sister. But Elvis Costello provides the stand-out cameo on "Carpetbagger," announcing himself with an energy akin to any of his early classics. (You almost wish Lewis would have kicked the tempo up a couple BPMs and let him sing the whole song). The only real dud is the nearly nine-minute "Next Messiah." Seemingly a medley of unfinished ideas with awkward transitions, the track should have been tucked toward the end of the disc, or excluded altogether. If Lewis were able to rise to Nicks-level fame, it would be interesting to see what she would do with it. She's not writing classics yet, but don't discount the idea that she very well may eventually. 

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