A star-studded affair
Jenny Lewis, known to many for her childhood actress roles in Troop Beverly Hills and The Wizard, has done what many in her position could only dream of; she found her true passion in music and blew her fans away. Lewis has proven her musical talent through the years while being a part of The Postal Service, Jenny & Johnny, Nice As Fuck, The Watson Twins and as of most recent, indie rock group Rilo Kiley. What Lewis can produce with a group is shadowed by her ability to create music all her own.
Her fourth solo album, On The Line, is an album celebrating Lewis’s growth from actress to singer-songwriter to story-teller as she combines her country twang with her indie-rock roots. The album touches on real-life issues that Lewis dealt with while recording, a breakup with a long time partner and the death of her mother. The 11-track album starts with “Heads Gonna Roll,” a star-studded affair with Ringo Starr on drums, Don Was on bass and Benmont Tench on the organ. The piano and organ-driven track is the breakup anthem we never knew we needed. “Red Bull & Hennessy,” the polar opposite of the former song, is a track following the heat of a brand new love and the desires that follow. “I’m about to get wicked / You got me lying on my back / Hallelu- / All will be forgiven / But why you gotta act like that?/ Make me beg for you?”
Produced by Beck, “Do Si Do,” moves fast and has all the feels of a classic indie-pop song. Playing on the strings of Lewis’s weary heart, “Wasted Youth” plays a part in Lewis’s battle with her estranged, drug-addicted mother who passed away with cancer. The poppy-piano based track is filled with sorrowful lyrics. “Little White Dove” is part two of Lewis’s heart-wrenching battle with losing and bitter-feelings. What once was a battle of right and wrong, becomes a white flag of forgiveness and letting go. Lewis continues her storytelling work of art with “Taffy,” yet another track filled with hurt. The track flows through the motions of things falling apart in front of one’s eyes, “I wanted to please you, my dress was see-through, as I looked through your phone / I am such a coward, but how could you send her flowers?”
The title track, “On The Line,” brings the album to a close with classic Lewis strength–a woman who is no stranger to heartache, love, devastation and absolute serenity. The singer, songwriter, actress and musician continues to refine her musical skills and ages like fine wine through her sharp lyricism, classic country get-up and indie-rock flair.
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