Rilo Kiley, Under The Blacklight

POSTED: Monday, September 24, 2007, 5:20 PM

Filed Under: Music Album

She looks so hard on the dance floor. She does the smoke detector.

I love Rilo Kiley. Love 'em. But this new album, I dunno... Let's go track by track.

1. “Silver Lining”
The open with prefabby beats that’s supposed to say “shake your hips” but comes off closer to “Hey Mickey.” Still this is that forlorn, wistful Jenny Lewis voice that made her solo album so good. And the tinny, plinky backdrop (a guitar doing a mandolin impression) is pretty sweet.

2. “Close Call”
The verses are nursery rhymey and easy, but the chorus is nice, and the ooh oohs are solid. This one’s really redundant though.

3. “Moneymaker”
Ah. At first the discomagic vibe kinda bummed me out, but the more I listen, the more I find my self digging the sleazy riff and strangely funky bass. This was the song with the dirty video (preceded by interview with porn stars).

4. “Breakin’ Up”
There was a time when all I wanted from music was a chick singer, some lyrics about relationships and music that sounded like a Gameboy. This has all that but it’s kinda soft rock. Redundant to the max, and I’m not buying the big-haired Diana Ross backup singers thing.

5. “Under the Blacklight”
Whatever sketchiness the lanky synths and dark lyrics are supposed to conjured up are completely undermined by the innocuous chorus. There’s nothing wrong with maudlin, but come on, if you wanna say you’re a black widow you gotta sell it a little. This is your title track?

6. “Dreamworld”
This would be the best Elected song of all time, but for Rilo Kiley it’s kind of an offtopic B-side.

7. “Dejalo”
Now, if we’re listening to a band sink into some kinda of Madonna quicksand, this is “La Isla Bonita.” A Spanish lullaby? I guess. It’s songs like this that make me wonder whether this isn’t some kind of break up album but a money grab, a push to see if Rilo Kiley can meet marketability halfway. It Jenny can play Leno, why can’t her band?

8. “15”
The deep cuts are usually Rilo Kiley’s wheelhouse, but this ode to statutory rape is blandiose.

9. “Smoke Detector”
Love this song. I mean it’s a bit edgeless and redundant like most of the album, but the sleaziness has finally defined itself. Is the smoke detector a dance (like the frug)? I don’t really get this song but it’s just right.

10. “The Angels Hung Around”
Excellent song. Hey, maybe we’re in a rally.

11. “Give A Little Love”
Nope. Game over.

Rilo Kiley plays the Troc tomorrow.

Jon Solomon

Posted 2007-09-24 14:00:28

Sunday's Trenton Times had a large headline about a band called Kilo Riley. Whoops. Scan available on demand.

Posted by Patrick Rapa @ 5:20 PM Permalink | Post a comment

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