Rilo Kiley's newest album, "More Adventurous", was released July 27th on iTunes, and is scheduled for August 17th on CD. While lacking the forceful thematic ties between "Execution's" various tracks, it's nevertheless worth listening to.
1. It's A Hit
2. Does He Love You?
3. Portions for Foxes
4. Ripchord
5. I Never
6. The Absence of God
7. Accidntel Death
8. More Adventurous
9. Love and War (11/11/46)
10. A Man / Me / Then Jim
11. It Just Is
Compared to their previous work, I'm afraid I must consider the album a disappointment. There's nothing particularly misguided about it, but none of the tracks seem as developed or well thought out as their previous work. "It's A Hit" isn't just a shallow protest song, but blatantly comparing George W. Bush to a feces-flinging chimpanzee does not smack of lyrical sophistication.
Any chimp can play human for a day
Use his opposable thumbs to iron his uniform
And run for office on election day
Fancy himself a real decision maker
And deploy more troops than salt shakers
But it's a jungle when war is made
And you'll panic and throw your own shit at the enemy
The overall effect only serves to overwhelm the finer points Jenny Lewis is making. It does not compare well to the introspective, philosophical allusions to the consequences of war on their previous release.
"A Man / Me / Then Jim" is probably the pick of the album, lyrically speaking, but it's difficult to understand why the band didn't illustrate the changing point of view with a duet, as they did to great effect on a much earlier song, "Papillon". "Portions for Foxes" and "I Never" are catchy, but the country themes threaten to overwhelm the other influences that make their sound so unique.
Additionally, Blake Sennett's demotion to only one song on the album, "Ripcord", is dissapointing. Although his vocal talents can't really hold up to Jenny's, his contributions in the past have helped accent their albums and kept them from becoming monotonous. His efforts here are missed.