Acid Tongue - Dark Publications

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Editorial Reviews:

Amazon.com
Jenny Lewis and the Watson Twins took their cues from legendary singer/songwriter Lauro Nyro in crafting the intimate, gospel-country Rabbit Fur Coat. The all-star Acid Tongue represents something bigger and darker. Without abandoning her roots, Rilo Kiley's front woman adds more soul and jazz weaponry to her musical arsenal, culminating in a record that combines the folky introspection of Joni Mitchell, circa Court and Spark, with the bluesy rock of the Rolling Stones, circa Sticky Fingers, i.e. slide guitar, Hammond B3 organ, and funk-oriented bass (Lewis contributes piano, vibraphone, and guitar). Even her voice sounds richer; deeper and smokier on some songs, like the noirish, nine-minute medley "The Next Messiah," and lighter and brighter on others, like the soaring "Black Sand" and yearning, Bowie-ish "Trying My Best to Love You." Recorded live to tape, the 11 tracks come hurtling out of the speakers like Wild Horses. Duet partners and backing vocalists include Jonathan Rice, Chris Robinson, and Lewis super-fan, Elvis Costello. Frequent collaborator M. Ward drops by to add acoustic licks to the slinky "Pretty Bird." With this second album, Lewis strikes a masterful balance between tough sounds and tender sentiments. --Kathleen C. Fennessy

Product Description
Femme fatale Jenny Lewis has never sounded so passionate and her songs never so hard-hitting and acerbic as on her aptly titled solo disk, Acid Tongue. The album follows 2006's Rabbit Fur Coat (which Spin named among the best albums of that year) and a series of acclaimed albums with indie rock fave Rilo Kiley. Featuring collaborations with A Band Called She & Him and guest appearances by Elvis Costello and Chris Robinson of The Black Crowes, Acid Tongue proves to be wicked good.

Customer Reviews: Read 24 more reviews...

3 out of 5 stars

An album or a mixtape? Hmm... September 24, 2008
12 out of 20 found this review helpful

I have three issues with this album. The first is the fact that it's on WB rather than Team Love. Of course all the Rilo Kiley fans were upset when they ditched Saddle Creek for WB, but now that Jenny on her own is doing the same thing, well it just plain doesn't feel right. The second is the absence of the Watson Twins. I would have no problem with this if Acid Tongue was just Jenny, but its not; there is a plethora of musicians who play instruments AND sing on this record. Some of these songs were actually first introduced to the fans on the road WITH the Watson Twins singing background! Listening to these versions without them does not sound nearly as sweet. The third issue with this record is the fact that its very messy and disorganized--it lacks a general theme and its just all over the place as far as the songs go. Now sometimes with some artists this is a good thing, but not with Jenny Lewis and/or Rilo. Basically listening to Acid Tongue gives me the feeling that the musicians are all buzzed and restless and the songs were recorded in some late-night studio jam session and lumped together under the 'Acid Tongue' title to ship an LP on time and please Warner Brothers. I do love a lot of these songs, most of them actually. Its just that these come across as bootlegs, like its not really an album, but a mixtape some fan put together.

Trying My Best to Love You is a beautiful song. Acid Tongue itself is a beautiful song (although I miss the Watson Twins on it). Still, if you put this next to Rabbit Fur Coat I think its pretty obvious its the lesser LP. Not just in song-quality but in *feeling*. This one is left looking unimportant.

5 out of 5 stars

Even better than Rabbit Fur Coat September 23, 2008
11 out of 12 found this review helpful

This is one of those albums that I can't listen to just once, even though nearly every song could stand alone.

For this album, Lewis and her collaborators left behind most audio editing technology to give a more natural sound to it. The songs sound incredibly geuine without being gritty, and there's still plenty of rock.

"The Next Messiah" will, no doubt, be one of the most talked about songs from this disc. It's around 9 minutes long, but it flies by and seems perfectly at home among the other songs.

It's hard to write a slow song that's still incredibly catchy, but this album has many. "Black Sand," "Godspeed," and "Pretty Bird" are infectious but wouldn't sound out of place in a coffee house. "Carpetbagger" and "See Fernando" are more up-tempo and equally viral, "Carpetbagger" featuring Elvis Costello on vocals. I'm not convinced his vocals fit the song, but he definitely lends that Elvis Costello presence to the song.

For those who are bigger fans of Rilo Kiley or Rabbit Fur Coat, there are songs that could be at home there too. The title track could be a Rilo Kiley song as it tells the story of a woman who's given up smoking and drugs but hasn't convinced herself that redemption is available just yet. The penultimate song, "Jack Killed Mom" has a fun spirit that is purely of this album but also a gospel influence that would be right at home on Rabbit Fur Coat.

5 out of 5 stars

It comes on kinda mellow, but the teeth just keep getting sharper and sharper... September 25, 2008
8 out of 8 found this review helpful

Okay, so I KNOW there are those who can't stop waving the Rilo Kiley torch, or the Watson Twins torch as well, but this album is about Jenny Lewis and that's who I'm reviewing. She shines, to keep it simple.

The album starts slowly, with the whimsical flirting chords of "Black Sand" and then the dark, slow churning "Pretty Bird" keeps the flow going smoothly, finishing with a strum that shakes you and fades into silence. Not for long, cause what comes next is "The Next Messiah", which is one of those few album tracks that feels live but isn't, and therefore this meandering jam achieves the ultimate level of polished iridescence.

"Bad Man's World" brings you back out of that shake your butt drumbeat with another of Lewis's paradigms of songbird vocal melancholia, the likes of which we haven't seen I think since before Joni Mitchell's balls dropped (I refer to the effect her smoking has had on her voice over the years that has rendered her from soprano to tenor, which is still beautiful, don't get me wrong, I love Joni, but its no longer that crystal clear soprano you hear as the ghost voice on Neil Young's contribution to The Last Waltz).

But onward, to the meat of this album. "Acid Tongue" softly wails the tale of the road tripper, a road Lewis and so many hundreds of thousands out there have been on. She sings the song of no regrets, but simply having had her fill, despite her soul attraction to that particular journey and the places it has taken her. Following is "See Fernando", a song I must admit I prefer live with the Watson Twins, but it's still a great track and worth it. Had I never heard the live version before, I might have been all about this one. "Godspeed" breaks my heart, just an amazing song, one that floors you and rips you open and makes you want to hug your best friend for all the times you've had be painfully real with each other. This was my favorite song on this album.

Then there's "Carpetbagger", a song that I really wish Costello hadn't opened his mouth on, but the song is strong enough with its audacity and razor edge to have you forgiving Elvis the minute Jenny takes the mike back. Side not on "Carpetbagger", I live in SC, and there are so many bars that this song would not go over well in, but that doesn't mean the patrons don't need to hear it.

"Carpetbagger" goes into "Trying My Best to Love You", another slow churned, extra creamy Jenny ballad, which preludes the jaw dropping "Jack Killed Mom", a song that will make you see the Janis Joplin influence on Jenny Lewis, not one of emulation, but of pure SOUL, dig?

Ending this unfortunately short album is the sweet not saccharine "Sing a Song for Them", which is a gentle come down that reminds me of the Dead's "Ripple", Jenny Lewis ends her album with hope and wisdom and a smile on her face that you can hear through your speakers.

To quote my best friend, "Whatever she's on, I want two."

5 out of 5 stars

It Isn't Rabbit Fur Coat (or Rilo Kiley) - And That's Not A Bad Thing September 24, 2008
7 out of 8 found this review helpful

I first listened to this record (at least 5 times) when it was posted on Jenny Lewis's myspace page. Then I purchased the CD the day it came out and gave it another 4 listens. Here is my conclusion:
Acid Tongue isn't a carbon copy of Rabbit Fur Coat. Why would we want what we've already heard? What Jenny brought us here is not only a collection of exciting new material but also a variation of the aesthetic found on Rabbit Fur Coat. For me, the biggest difference between Rabbit Fur Coat and Acid Tongue is that on Acid Tongue, Jenny is not holding back vocally. This is evident on tracks such as (but not limited to) The Next Messiah, Trying My Best To Love You, and Jack Killed Mom. Her voice is so dynamic, especially when she alternates from her higher register where her voice is sweet with a beautiful vibrato, to the middle of her range where her sharp-tongued lyrics benefit from her country twanged snarl.
And yes, The Watson Twins are absent from this record but Jenny has such a talented group of friends singing backup/harmonies that I honestly don't miss The Watson Twins (they are very talented, too). My one gripe is on the track Carpetbaggers where Elvis Costello duets with Jenny. I don't think his voice matches the bluegrass style of the song and wish Jonathan Rice would've done the duet instead (as he did on the RFC tour).
Finally, what makes this record so appealing is its ability to offer slower, mellow tracks as well as some very rocking, dance-worthy ones (not in the night club sense but rather, an alt.country hoedown).
So please enjoy Acid Tongue whether you are new to Jenny Lewis or have worn through 3 copies of Rabbit Fur Coat.

3 out of 5 stars

Lewis in the Sky with Diamonds September 24, 2008
7 out of 21 found this review helpful

I dropped the title track, "Carpetbaggers" and "See Fernando" around noon, and they kept me smiling throughout the night. Unfortunately, the remainder of this sheet was bunk. Just say no?

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