Little Girl Voice, Big Girl Emotion

Acid Tongue (Jenny Lewis): Here's a rarity: while driving to work one day (in California), listening to KFOG, I was smitten by a "new music" track played by the morning crew. So smitten that I had to have the record, after just one listen to just one track. This is rare because I don't listen to much "new music" on the radio, and also because most morning shows don't play much music. I'm much more likely to purchase something I've heard on NPR than on mainstream radio. As a disclaimer, I should point out that although my tastes are not mainstream, they're not on the fringe either, but if you (and I) stick with this blog, that should become apparent.

As it turns out, my aforementioned erstwhile musical friend Dave Pearce had just purchased this, and also recommended it. Jenny Lewis, former child star (you might have seen her in Golden Girls, Growing Pains, Troop Beverly Hills, or a Jell-O commercial), also formerly of Rilo Kiley, is charming, disarming, and more on this follow up to her solo debut. See Fernando set the hook for me, and The Next Messiah - a Suite: Judy Blue Eyes for Generation X - reeled me in. Ms. Lewis is definitely capable of singing with her heart on her sleeve (Acid Tongue), something that always gets me. This is a great album for headphones - lots of subtlety that would otherwise be lost.

If her voice sounds familiar, you may have heard her soundtrack contribution to Disney's 2008 animated feature, Bolt.