Paul's Choice:
Jenny and Johnny - I’m Having Fun Now
Hey-o!
So let’s get some news updates up in hurr:
1. Sorry for being so late. College is hard, NOBODY TOLD ME!
2. My radio show is going good, starting next semester, I’m gonna save all my shows and post them up here for you to listen to! Or you can listen live if you’d like, I’m not sure what time slot I’ll have but I’ll let you know about that when I know.
3. I’m now Assistant Music Director for the radio station! The really rad thing about that is that I’ll be reviewing about 5 albums a week for the station, so there’s really no excuse for me not to have my reviews done on time.
4. Be At Leso is planning shows and writing and all that good stuff. If you want us to play for you, let us know, we’d love to.
5. Again, sorry, I’m so late. I’ll gonna try to get caught up, and I promise I’ll be better about this next year!
6. We’re gonna have a “Best of the Year” post coming up soon. It’ll have a lot of lists. Bitches love lists.
<3 Now about the album! So, this is the beautiful Jenny Lewis of Rilo Kiley collaborating with her boyfriend Jonathon Rice. Cool beans. There’s not much I really know about her other than the fact that she is one of the absolute hottest women in indie rock. Seriously, man. But enough of my drooling, this album… Well, there’s nothing special about it. There’s nothing bad about it at all. It’s actually pretty enjoyable to listen to. It’s just not special. It’s about the purest form of indie rock that there is, there’s no delving into other genres or any experimentation at all. I think just about anyone can pick up this album for some simple listening, I think hardly anyone will find it brilliant or awful. If you’re looking for average you can’t go wrong with this. If you’re looking for anything greater you will but utterly disappointed.
Merry Christmas and God bless!
So let’s get some news updates up in hurr:
1. Sorry for being so late. College is hard, NOBODY TOLD ME!
2. My radio show is going good, starting next semester, I’m gonna save all my shows and post them up here for you to listen to! Or you can listen live if you’d like, I’m not sure what time slot I’ll have but I’ll let you know about that when I know.
3. I’m now Assistant Music Director for the radio station! The really rad thing about that is that I’ll be reviewing about 5 albums a week for the station, so there’s really no excuse for me not to have my reviews done on time.
4. Be At Leso is planning shows and writing and all that good stuff. If you want us to play for you, let us know, we’d love to.
5. Again, sorry, I’m so late. I’ll gonna try to get caught up, and I promise I’ll be better about this next year!
6. We’re gonna have a “Best of the Year” post coming up soon. It’ll have a lot of lists. Bitches love lists.
<3 Now about the album! So, this is the beautiful Jenny Lewis of Rilo Kiley collaborating with her boyfriend Jonathon Rice. Cool beans. There’s not much I really know about her other than the fact that she is one of the absolute hottest women in indie rock. Seriously, man. But enough of my drooling, this album… Well, there’s nothing special about it. There’s nothing bad about it at all. It’s actually pretty enjoyable to listen to. It’s just not special. It’s about the purest form of indie rock that there is, there’s no delving into other genres or any experimentation at all. I think just about anyone can pick up this album for some simple listening, I think hardly anyone will find it brilliant or awful. If you’re looking for average you can’t go wrong with this. If you’re looking for anything greater you will but utterly disappointed.
Merry Christmas and God bless!
Friend Rating:
6.7
Hipster Review:
Many moons ago I was into a little band called Rilo Kiley, whose frontwoman Jenny Lewis I had become intrigued by (due partly to, and I'm a bit ashamed to admit it, a big crush I had on her). Her solo work was very different from that of her band, mixing her indie sensibilities with an ear for vintage country, a la Loretta Lynn. For a while I was taken by her debut Rabbit Fur Coat, fascinated by how a modern artist had so seamlessly brought such a old sound and injected it with such vigor. I could still listen to it today and enjoy it. But as time passes, old flames die out...
Today, I have little to no interest in Rilo Kiley's music. It doesn't do anything for me, and even her solo work doesn't inspire the same feeling of fascination that it once did. It was a phase, and it has long passed. So I approached I'm Having Fun Now with somewhat of an "eh" reaction; I just took it for what it was and didn't go into it expecting anything terribly gripping. Sure enough, I walked away from this safe albeit fun album with no conceptions shattered. It is a fun, cute album and not much else; the concept of having Lewis collaborate with boyfriend/songwriter Johnathan Rice pretty much spells out the album's experience. I did enjoy it more than I thought I would, but that isn't saying much in this case. Lewis fans will be pleased, all others left unmoved.
Today, I have little to no interest in Rilo Kiley's music. It doesn't do anything for me, and even her solo work doesn't inspire the same feeling of fascination that it once did. It was a phase, and it has long passed. So I approached I'm Having Fun Now with somewhat of an "eh" reaction; I just took it for what it was and didn't go into it expecting anything terribly gripping. Sure enough, I walked away from this safe albeit fun album with no conceptions shattered. It is a fun, cute album and not much else; the concept of having Lewis collaborate with boyfriend/songwriter Johnathan Rice pretty much spells out the album's experience. I did enjoy it more than I thought I would, but that isn't saying much in this case. Lewis fans will be pleased, all others left unmoved.
Hipster Rating:
6.7
Coming up next, False Priest by Of Montreal!
Posts
2 comments:
Hey fellas! Merry Christmas! Paul, good to have you back! You survived your first semester of college! Bottoms up, bratha! :p
Given the album you guys reviewed, this is one of those posts where Paul's news takes top post over the album selected: YES! Do a tour!!! COME TO JERSEY!!
Now, about the album. Mr. Taylor, you said it best: It was "eh." And you were so fucking right-on with your prediction that I wouldn't be moved by this one. You know my taste too well! :D
So you want my expounded thoughts on the album? Ugh, where should I begin. To the indiscreet sexual references, to the hackneyed, amatory song concepts, to pairing simple guitar work with simple lyric, (a good musician picks one), to the overall irritatingly tender sound, which could very well be themed in a post-modern chick flick. Just any one of the above criteria is enough to make the entire album fall flat. Pun intended. You crushed on that, Taylor? Yikes. Enthused you came to your senses. ;)
Being that the cherry on the cake is the band compromising a boyfriend-girlfriend tag-team, enough fucking said.
So much for modern day indie chick rock outfits. Artists like these scream "Sleater-Kinney, make a comeback please!"
And fantastic choice for your next review! That's more like it, boys!
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