jeffchin.com

My third review on DOA just went up, and I was surprised to see that it was one of the “Picks of the Week“. This doesn’t necessarily mean that my writing was great, probably just that the guy that runs the site, also named Jeff, likes them too. But, I’d like to think that it’s just good writing It’s cool because it’s more exposure than being stuck further down the page. Although sometimes writing these reviews add stress to my relatively stressfree life, it’s good to have a hobby. I just got my first package of promo CD’s, the most intriguing being the latest CD from a band I might pull out of the “Blast from the Past” bin, Local H, which isn’t being released until April 6th. Anyways, read on!

I’ll be the first to admit that I have a soft spot for bands with a female lead singer. Ever since That Dog released the pop-rock gem Retreat From the Sun in 1997, only to breakup shortly thereafter, I have been searching for a band to fill that void. I may have just found the missing piece in Rilo Kiley. Both are guitar-driven, both are pop-rock bands that have a sprinkle of quirkiness, and both feature lead female singers whose voices are the identity of the band.

I was drawn to Rilo Kiley after hearing lead singer Jenny Lewis’ mesmerizing guest vocals on The Postal Service’s Give Up. As with many of her lyrics, when she sings on the title track “Then we’ll murder what matters to you and move on to your neighbors and kids / Crush all hopes of happiness with disease ’cause of what you did,” her cynical lyrics were masked by her innocent tone and general upbeat feel which was common to every track on the disc. Guitarist Blake Sennett takes over lead vocal duties on a couple of songs (“So Long” and “Three Hopeful Thoughts”). His vocal tone is much different than Lewis’ and sometimes so soft and breathy that I had a hard time separating it from the music. These songs broke the flow of the album, and to me, didn’t fit with the rest of the album.

There are a few tracks that stand out from the others. “My Slumbering Heart” starts off with a slow, steady beat and imagery of a dream, then speed up during the choruses. The part that really gets me is when the band does the half-speed power chorus with keyboards and no vocals. For a brief second, it brings me back to Weezer’s blue album days. Also be sure to break out the S’mores with the stripped-down, campfire sing-along song “With Arms Outstretched.” An acoustic guitar, well-placed glockenspiels, and eventually a clap track and group vocals credited as “boy choir” make it the feel-good song of the album.

Needless to say, I am a fan of Rilo Kiley, and I haven’t heard the band’s first album Take Offs and Landings. But if it’s anywhere near as good as The Execution of All Things, I’ll be happy.

Read my review of Rilo Kiley – The Execution of All Things on DOA!