Rilo Kiley: Under the Blacklight

Rilo Kiley
Under the Blacklight
Warner

Confusing as it may be, this week’s brand new, pornography-themed album comes not from the New Pornographers, but from L.A. indie stalwarts Rilo Kiley. And yes, nobody knows exactly what “indie” means anymore.

Fresh off the soulful, country cuddliness of her side project with the Watson Twins, 2006’s Rabbit Fur Coat, frontvixen Jenny Lewis clearly had naughty things in mind when she reconvened with Rilo Kiley for the band’s fourth album, Under the Blacklight. In truth, every Rilo record has had its share of sex appeal, but nothing to the slap-you-in-the-face extreme of their new single, “Moneymaker,” which includes a raunchy disco riff, a raunchier video with porn star cameos, and the least adventurous wordplay of Lewis’ stellar lyrical career: “You’ve got the moneymaker / They showed the money to you / You showed them what you can do.”

Not surprisingly, the song sent Rilo loyalists into defensive panic mode for a while, claiming that (a) “it’ll grow on you” and (b) “the whole album probably won’t be like that.” They were right on at least one count, because, thankfully, Under the Blacklight makes for a worthy edition to the diverse and always enjoyable Rilo Kiley canon.

Lewis remains one of the most simultaneously sultry and charming singers on the planet, effortlessly drifting from straight up Memphis soul (“Silver Lining”) to lovely folk balladry (“Under the Blacklight”) and blip-pop coolness (“Breakin’ Up”). Meanwhile, guitarist Blake Sennett has embraced an almost Television-esque (or maybe Franz Ferdinand) playing style, which might pay its best dividends on the superb “Close Call,” a track that feels ripe for getting unfairly overlooked.

(Andrew Clayman)


Published in The Metro Pulse, August 2007