I have to say I was a bit disappointed with this album. After reading the great live reviews Ms Lewis & Co. had received, as well as descriptions of the sounds as melancholy C&W meets bummed out gospel, I thought this would be right up my street.

Sadly, the songwriting is not strong enough. Although “Happy” is awesome and “Born Secular” and “Melt Your Heart” hit the spot too, I just haven’t felt compelled to play the album much.

I wanted to like it, I really did, but something just aint right. I have a feeling though that there is a killer album in Ms Lewis, and I look forward to being blown away by it, when it arrives on the earth.

Read my review here:
Jenny Lewis & the Watson Twins: Rabbit Fur Coat

My first exposure to this album was to the cover of “handle with care.” I was really disappointed. However, in the context of the entire album the half-assed cover totally works. Difficult to explain why.

I’ve been enjoying the Rilo Kiley material for a couple of years now. Their song arrangements are especially interesting and the lyrics are always interesting. This album is a bit more country/gospel and the genre doesn’t provide for the same flexibility with arrangements but it does allow for the infectious lyrics to take center stage.

On the surface the songs have a country feel with a bit of a gospel feeling, but there is a great irony and fire in Jenny Lewis’ lyrics. I get sucked in by the beauty and the complexity in the writing and harmonies makes it so much fun to listen to. Rabbit Fur Coat is one of my favourite new discoveries and I’ve been listening to it a lot. The songs a clustered around personal relationships and seem to be incredibly personal at times, but I’m not sure how much of it is true and it doesn’t really matter in the bigger picture. It’s just great music with a wicked sense of humour.

Jenny Lewis’s lyrics are exceptionally poetic and raw. She is a master storyteller in song and these stripped down songs, a mixture of soul, country and mood rock tracks are just kind of heavenly.

The title track seems almost too open. A bare look at someone coming to terms with a relationship and with themselves. That is a consistent them of all the tracks.

The first excellent album of 2006.

kind of jesusy, but in a reflective “i used to be jesusy” way, not so much a preachy way, and also, they do a cover of “handle me with care” by the travelling wilburys, so….
its prettymuch like rilo kiley without the kiley. hahaha.
awesome listen.