Rilo Kiley - 'Under the Blacklight '
(Warner Brothers, 2007)
Rating:7

Having made the indie rounds both figuratively and literally via their earlier  a new album in Under the Blacklight that simultaneously serves as a mid-career curveball and a sinewy, focused blast of Calipop at its finest. Ardent admirers may suffer an initial dose of culture shock, but frontwoman Jenny Lewis and crew have aptly displayed a sonic reach well within its grasp in lending the band an unapologetically poppy escape from indie protocol. In embracing a number of disparate genres, Rilo Kiley has held a mirror up to its own musical DNA and discovered a few helix strands previously uncovered that have hastened a cocoon-bursting showcase of their most incisive instincts in the midst of ostensibly airy material.

Rilo Kiley have been indie and critical darlings pretty much since the band’s inception, but their exposure to the City of Angels and all of its wonderful underbellies has apparently finally registered in a way that necessitates Left Coast ruminations on sex, money, and the myriad ways in which those two topics often intersect. Under the Blacklight, while certainly a departure from their previous aesthetic, is far from a populist money-grab; it just so happens that the band in fact has a natural proclivity for this kind of musical exploration. The predictable cries of “Sellout!” (do people even use that term anymore?) would carry more weight if the band and Lewis in particular didn’t do such a damn good job throughout this record in playing to their pop sensibilities. Lewis stands in possession of a truly beautiful voice that begs an incessant melody, and lead guitarist/songwriter Blake Sennett gladly obliges on an array of songs that partake of a wide range of musical influences that include straight-ahead pop, serpentine funk, and even a little coked-out disco. Producer Mike Elizondo generally works his magic behind the boards on rap outings, but his presence seemingly bolsters and emboldens the band in providing what seems like a block-rocking backbeat that writhes its way throughout the proceedings. The production en masse is clear and concise, with undercutting layers of sound that develop texture amidst a pop sheen that’s as breezy as Lewis’ voice is inviting.

It bears mentioning that Lewis and Sennett have done their best to lend a little Fleetwood Mac flavor to this album, as the dissolution of the longtime couple has only seemed to inform their music in ways that make their product more accessible. Lewis is the feature player here, and her voice seems to ebb and flow with a rhythmic enchantment that draws you into her tales of sexual minefields. Someone in the onetime union has some very thick skin, as Lewis seems her most ebullient on Breakin’ Up, a track which traces its genetic code back to none other than Gloria Gaynor both in tone and sentiment as Lewis confidently and quite vibrantly declares “It feels good to be free”. It might be shameful to take pleasure in the downfall of others, but if similar pop reveries emanate from future bumps in the romantic road for Ms. Lewis and crew, then so be it. Lewis lends a syrupy twang to album opener Silver Lining over a Queenesque backbeat and bleating guitar shimmers before shifting into overtly libidinal gear on Moneymaker as she describes a woman doing whatever it takes to “Get O-O-U-U-T-T of here”. As with most L.A.-induced albums, the imagery lends itself to situations in which pleasure and pain seemingly coexist, but the siren-like quality of Lewis’ voice makes the journey worth the risk. Rilo Kiley have succeeded in eschewing indie style points just long and effectively enough to highlight areas not generally covered on star maps with Under the Blacklight. In doing so, they’ve made an overt grab at mainstream relevance that nonetheless functions as a heartfelt progression, as this record has the feel of a band ready to trade their blacklight for a spotlight.

- Brant Miles