More Adventurous

Performer: Rilo Kiley
Producer: Mike Mogis; Mark Trombino; Jimmy Tamborello
Distributor: WEA (Distributor)

Notes: Rilo Kiley: Jenny Lewis (vocals, guitar, harmonica, Mellotron, keyboards); Blake Sennett (vocals, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, Mellotron, ARP synthesizer); Jason Boesel (vocals, drums, tambour, percussion); Pierre de Reeder (bass instrument). Much has been made about Rilo Kiley's fusion of country and rock but with MORE ADVENTUROUS, the band's first recording released outside of the Saddle Creek camp, this California quartet creates a sound more along the lines of Belle & Sebastian's brand of twee pop. The bittersweet ting of primary lyricist and singer Jenny Lewis's words is offset by a leavened use of string arrangements. This combination proves irresistible, particularly on the anti-war opener "It's a Hit," with its compelling mix of brassy fanfare, shoo-bop harmonies, and Velvet Underground-like guitar riffs, all of which only a hint at the audio delights lying in wait over the course of this record. Mellotron and Moog add a melancholy air to the heartbreak-defining "Does He Love You?," and "I Never" hints at Rilo Kiley's country side via Lewis's aching, Loretta Lynn-like phrasing and the atmospheric blending of strings and pedal steel. This adventurous musical outing leaves room for Blake Sennett's lo-fi, solo acoustic tune "Ripchord," the Blondie-esque "Portions for Foxes," and "Love and War (11/11/46)," a New Wave-like rocker inspired by Lewis's visit to her grandfather in a VA hospital.

Rolling Stone (p.94) - 3 stars out of 5 - "[A]t its best it achieves a kind of cinematic grace." Rolling Stone (p.151) - Included in Rolling Stone's Top 50 Records Of 2004 - "ADVENTUROUS erases the line between sexy and unnerving." Spin (p.63) - Ranked #36 in Spin's "40 Best Albums of the Year" - "[E]legantly self-lacerating odes to Hollywood and broken dreams..." Entertainment Weekly (p.125) - "Rilo Kiley reconvene with their most sprawling CD yet." - Grade: B+ Uncut (p.80) - 3 stars out of 5 - "Rilo Kiley boasts a frontwoman of uncommon distinction. A wordsmith of subtle heft, she shapes elliptical short stories into torched songs of uplifting pessimism....All of it sounding fresh, smart and seductive..." Alternative Press (p.124) - 4 out of 5 - "[M]eticulously refined and consistently pleasing..." Mojo (Publisher) (p.104) - 4 stars out of 5 -"[T]here's a wit, charisma, and individuality at play that lends teeth to Rilo Kiley's tasteful alt country/indie-rock sound."

Rilo Kiley is a pop four-piece formed in Los Angeles in the late 1990s by Blake Sennett and former child actress Jenny Lewis. The band plays an effortless brand of sing-song pop/rock shot through with hints of Americana and songbook stylings. After self-releasing their first two albums, Rilo Kiley quickly climbed the music industry ladder, recording for the esteemed Omaha indie Saddle Creek and later gaining a major-label distribution deal for 2004's again self-released MORE ADVENTUROUS. Lewis released her debut solo album in 2006, while Sennett continued to work with his side band, the Elected.

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