Customer Reviews

The Execution of All Things

5 star:		(55)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Before there was the awe inspiring "More Advendturous", there was . . . the awe inspiring "The Execution Of All Things". The indie pop/rock/country band, headed by Jenny Lewis, struck a cord in 2002 but it's only til recently that listeners are heading back and exploring how the band progressed to the popular status to which they hold now. It's no mistake that these guys (and girl) just woke up one day with talent. They've had it all along. "The Execution Of All Things" is proof. It's an entertaining and some times overwhelming collection of songs that range from differnt genres.

1. The Good That Won't Come Out (8/10) Possesses a calm and constant flow for about three minutes and thirty nine seconds. Then Jason Boesel "bells" in with his drums that turn electric.
2. Paint's Peeling (7/10) Solid song with clarity that gets distorted towards the end.
3. The Execution Of All Things (10/10) Great intro (sounds like they're getting ready to play at Madion Square Park) Blake Sennett's guitar play shines throughout. Killer song!
4. So Long (10/10) Excellent mellow song, reminecent of The Shins. Sennett showcases his soothing vocal style. The music is somber yet hopeful.
5. Capuring Moods (10/10) Just beautiful. Lewis' voice is so gorgeous and clean. Great soundscape.
6. A Better Son/Daughter (9/10) Extremely relatable and catchy. It begins soft with excellent marching drums that soon become bombastic like watching a fireworks show. Sennett plays a quirky patriotic sounding solo.
7. Hail To Whatever You Found in the Sunlight That Surrounds You
(5/10) Repeatitive Country based diddy. Good but not the best, quite possibly their weakest song on the album.
8. My Slumbering Heart (8/10) Begins like "Accedental Deth" but quickly becomes poppy and bouncy.
9. Three Hopeful Thoughts (9/10) Another great Sennett sung song. I don't know why he doesn't sing more on "More Adventurous". He's got a great indie voice.
10. With Arms Outstretched (100/10) The most beautiful track they've EVER recorded. This is what I meant about overwhelming! This could easily produce tears for anyone. Lewis cries out, "And if you want me, you better speak up! I won't wait!" Very Heartbreaking and everyone sings and everyone should sing towards the end while clapping their hands! Boo!
11. Spectacular Views (9/10) What a great way to end an album. It's a fast pace rock song. Lewis sums it up, "Indifferent but distanced perfectly, projected endlessly - It's so f**king beautiful!"

I'm sure anyone who owns "The Execution Of All Things" feels lucky and privileged. They should. I do.
And that's not all kids! There's also a hidden song that is dispersed thoughout the album. It's kind of circus esque but definitly Rilo Kiley.

I'm going to try my best to keep my excited ramblings and nonsense to a minimum. Simply put, this album is completely solid. Not to mention having the album for over a year, but to love every song just as much as the first time I heard it -- especially after the heavy rotation it's been getting in my cd player as of late -- is remarkable.

Honestly, I can say that I've never been able to listen to one album as much as I do this one. After about the one-hundredth time I swear death to the CD and from there it collects a good load of dust-age on the CD racks.

But there is something about Rilo Kiley's beats, their sometimes eery, always melodious guitars -- and there is DEFINITELY something about jenny lewis' voice -- something that sounds just as beautiful screaming as it does crooning.

I have all three Rilo Kiley albums, and if you're a poor college student such as I, and even the price of $10 on Amazon freaks you out, and you can only afford one delicious Rilo Kiley album -- then I suggest this one. In MY opinion, after listening to all of their songs, this album seems to have the most amount of my absolute, have-to-listen-to-over-a-hundred-times, amazing songs on it. Stocked-full and ready to go for your listening pleasure.

5 stars, hands down, this shouldn't even be a topic of debate.

I'm avid music listener particulary in the 'indie rock' genre. However, Rilo Kiley had never, until recently, graced my extensive collection. Anyway, a friend of mine asked if he could borrow one of my Rilo Kiley cd's, assuming i ownded it, and I merely looked at him and told him i would get one and have been listening to RK ever since.

This particular cd of theirs just happens to be my favorite. It has a somewhat different feel than the other 2 which most people do, unfortunately, not prefer. The music has the capacity to make me feel, dare i say, warm and snuggley?, it is quite hard to explain but is certainly not the typical feeling i get from music and certainly not the type of feeling that i would ever want to go without. I love every track on this album; even if it is just one big experiment.

I spent too many years not having Rilo Kiley in my collection and i am urging you to not do the same. Just browse the tracks- i guarantee you'll be swept off your feet!

Approaching 50, it is easy for me to listen to the sounds I am used to: Dylan, Bowie, The Who, etc. But music must change with the times and Rilo Kiley is the best sound in today's rock I have heard. Sweetly cynical, intelliegent and sexy. Good stuff!

This might be the best record since 'Figure 8' by Elliott Smith, and is definitely the first time in a long time that I felt like I was listening to a band trying to tell me something that mattered. I've gotten a few of their other recordings (Jenny's solo, too) but I'm almost afraid to listen to anything else by them, I want to always love them as much as I do right now, un-jaded and awestruck.

I bought this album having not heard of this band thru word of mouth. The gamble paid off. This album reminds me of so many musical influences that appeal to me personally.Country, art rock, folk. Its almost familiar but welcome.

Its' hard to find an album that just sticks with you, especially in the new-era of music. But somehow I still end up going back to 2002s' brilliant little work of tapestry called - "Execution of all Things".

The sound of Rilo Kiley is a merging of sunny-California pop meets southern rock, with a good dosage of cutesy electronics. Jenny Lewis perfectly sways her almost hypnotic voice effortlessly, dipping into folk-style harmony right down to Tori-Amos tranquility and self-reflection. "Paints Peeling" is the perfect pop-rock song, full of buzzing guitar and Lewis' magnetic voice. "A Better son/daugther" is an anthem for anyone who ever felt like they just couldn't meet up to the weighty expectations placed on them.

Which is another plus I find with this band...they play and sing so wholesome. Jenny Lewis is indeed a REAL woman singing about REAL issues that befall everyone of every stature in some way or another. The very essence that makes this album work, is it's soulful take on being honest and straight from the heart. It is kinda depressing to see a really cool, fun-loving band that has fun doing what they do, stay so far in the back.

Saddlecreek has some really good bands that are bound to captivate a handful of listeners who give them the time of day --The Faint and Cursive come to mind. Rilo Kiley are among that class too, taking sub-pop into a whole new direction. By the way, the rumor mill has it, the band is piecing together a new album this year.

Now here's why we need independent record stores: I first heard Rilo Kiley while trying to unload some weak used CD's (one good song, lots of filler) at Rhino Records in L.A. "Execution of All Things" was playing over the store speakers, and immediately I thought -- no, can it be? -- yes, alternative rock that's actually catchy! Most alternative rock albums are vast atonal blurs of auditory sameness. But Rilo Kiley's "Execution of All Things" dares to display different tones and colors, and generally defies description. Indeed, the closest I can come to describing their sound is "Nancy Griffith with an electric guitar filtered through a David Lynch soundtrack." And that's not even close. Do yourself a favor: listen to this album. Not the samples below, but the whole thing. You may find yourself asking the same thing: "How can someone (lead singer Jenny Lewis) sound so cute yet so dark at the same time?"

I can only pick out two downsides to the entire album. First, the cover is atrociously ugly -- yeah, go ahead artsy people, call me a Philistine with no appreciation for drab blue-and-brown sketches of homely people, but you gotta admit it's ugly, and does a disservice to the sound it makes no attempt to represent. Second, and this is strictly a personal preference, but I cannot listen to cowriter Blake Sennett sing -- unless I'm in dire need of a nap. I think a general rule most male vocalists should follow is to try to sound less feminine than your female partner. But that's just me. And other than his two tracks, the album is worth repeated listening. I won't be trying to unload it at Rhino Records anytime soon.

I think that this is Rilo Kiley's best album to date. "Take Off and Landings" was a great debut album and if you are interested in this band, check out that album first. I find that "More Adventurous" (their newest album) is their weakest effort to date but as a Rilo Kiley fan I can tolerate it. This album on the other hand is brilliant and deserves to be recognized. This is Rilo Kiley at its most mature in terms of musical craftsmanship. Great pop-rock tunes with catchy powerful lyrics which is exactly what should be expected from this talented band. Jenny Lewis is an awesome performing artist and has never sounded better than on this album. Her voice is beautiful you can tell that she poured her heart and soul into each song. Just have a listen to the title track and see for yourself. You need to be a very cynical and jaded person not to be moved by her. This album is well worth your time and its one that needs to be listened to frequently in order to appreciate its beauty.

Take a couple talented songwriters (Jenny Lewis and Blake Sennett), a sweet yet powerful female lead singer (Lewis), throw in a variety of instruments and even a boy choir (with Bright Eyes singer Conner Oberst), and you've got this wonderful album. Rilo Kiley's music can be described as country-inspired garage rock. Their originality makes it difficult to compare their style to more recognizable bands, but if you had to, you could say there are hints of the Breeders, Liz Phair and Bettie Serveert, supplemented with twang. Though that description may sound strange, most of their songs are very catchy. Rilo Kiley is certainly not one of those "grow-on-you" kinds of acts. And at the same time, there are some exceptional things going on in their music. As for the lyrics, they are powerfully written and emotionally charged. There are even some curse words there, but minimally and well placed. Anger is eminently present in these songs, however with anticipated redemption. And Jenny Lewis has one of the best female voices I've heard in any genre. Here's a gem of an album to add to your collection and pass on to your friends.