Customer Reviews

More Adventurous

5 star:		(54)
4 star:		(26)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(8)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

First, I should say that I'm not very disciplined when it comes to music. I hardly ever listen to an album from beginning to end, and I generally purchase albums with a particular track in mind; I'll repeat the track and, over time, will tentatively listen to the tracks before and after it, eventually finding three or four other songs I enjoy. Four tracks -- I consider that a successful purchase.

This album marks an exception, and an outstanding one at that. I opened the Amazon box late one night and decided to listen to it from the start. I had no guidance as to particular songs I should listen to and figured it was worth a shot. I was transfixed, and played it as I drifted off to sleep. Played it again as I "worked" my way out of bed. There are, of course, stellar tracks: I particularly like "The Absence of God," "Accidntel Death" (a nod to Postal Service/Dntel afficionados), "More Adventurous," and every other track through the end. But I started out by particularly liking the first half, and I still like it a hell of a lot.

Look, Liz Phair has been a disaster post-"Whip Smart," but we liked her because of her brashness and the way she (at her best) made tracks that were both conversational and melodious. That's tough. Jenny Lewis does exactly that, but with less posturing. It's very odd, very bracing, and exceptionally "pretty," to use an unfortunate word.

The album is supremely excellent. Eminently listenable. Yes, "The Execution of All Things" was great (I particularly liked the title track), and this one is less ostentatiously experimental, with none of the out-and-out vocal weirdness of that album. It's also more fun. A fair trade, to my mind.

When I enter a record shop, I'm usually looking for jazz, often for specific items. But while in a store in LA, list in hand, I got totally sidetracked. I wasn't sure what I was hearing. It certainly wasn't jazz. Nevertheless, I loved it and grabbed a copy of More Adventurous before anything else.

This group has such a unique, compelling sound, and such fine material, that I find myself playing the CD over and over again. It's certainly not the least attributable to Jenny Lewis, especially with what she does with "I Never." The piece totally blows me away.

Jazz lovers beware.

I have waited a long time for this to happen and today it did.

I got Rilo Kiley and their album left me happily in awe; breathlessly out of words. For I have never, never, never, never, never ever heard a band that could quite sound like them or how they could make you feel. Really feel. Their music is sexed with a frameless Midas touch and it could weave its sensual magic into any somnambulant heart. It's hard not to fall in love.

Jenny Lewis is blessed with not just a versatile voice but she has the power to bend her tone to fit the almost genre-less range found in `More Adventurous'. I spent two good hours listening to the album twice over and her voice still amazes me to the core. I am gently reminded of Nina Persson's (of The Cardigans) solo debut `A Camp' some years back. There are many similarities between the two ladies whose voices would make the Sirens fall and weep. Both are childlike and blissful. There is a quiet hint of alternate indie or country with an edge, but whichever way you look at it, they are music to my ears. Blake Sennet's guitar works is nimble, smooth, light and meticulous. He caresses the chords with relative ease, the tunes he has managed to create on the six or twelve strings is nothing short of perfect. Mellow or heavy, they kick ass on the whole!

Words penned by Rilo Kiley in the 11 tracks is poetic, raw, full of dare and genuine soul. If Lewis' vocals alone aren't enough to move you, perhaps their lyrics just might. Singles like 'I Never' or 'A Man/Me/Then Jim' might well make you cry though. But I really do dig the way she makes the 'salt-shaker' noise on It's A Hit! If you had ever bought those crassly albums where you'd have to settle for only a handful of favorites, I am sure you would never encounter that with `More Adventurous'. The band's aim is to break away from any category music-critics would love to place them in, for which I am pleased to say that they have managed to fulfill this aim with no difficulty. The audio production sounds a little too refined and polished but it fails to take away the intensity of the soul which Rilo Kiley bares so plainly for all to see.

I am delighted that I have invested years ago in a good amplifier, speakers and all. Yes, blame me for the audiophile that I am, but tonight, ambient music coming out from the cones of my Monitor Audio Bronze speakers sound like angels with their charmed trumpets, and it has turned my living room into a little heaven.

Let's drink up to Rilo Kiley. For tonight, I pay tribute to unpredictable music worthy of saints and sinners.

Rilo Kiley was a band I stumbled upon by pure accident, and I'm sure glad I did. I was a fan of the Postal Service CD, and I knew Jenny Lewis sang some background vocals on it, so I decided to check out her band. I discovered I like Rilo Kiley more than the Postal Service or Death Cab For Cutie.

The songs are incredibly good. I completely disagree with anyone that says this is a spotty album. This album is one I put on and love almost everything. I might skip over two songs, Accidntl Deth and Love and War, the two songs that are kind of uncharacteristic of the band, but who can blame them for experimenting when everything else is just filled with great songwriting. The rest are great musically, lyrically and vocally. It is slightly more produced and has a few more pop songs than Rilo Kiley's previous two albums, but I like it just as well. The pop songs happen to be great pop songs, and on new territory like "I Never," Jenny sounds like the new Linda Ronstadt, and that's a good thing. I play this album for people all the time, and people always like it.

This really is genre-defying music. I think people go a bit overboard with talking about the country sound. There is a rootsy feel to a lot of the songs, but there's also a lot of folk and an indie rock feel. The lack of an easy niche for this band is the only thing I can think of that could be stopping them from being huge. I for one hope that they continue to do things their own way.

Blake Sennett plays great stuff on his guitar, and is a great compliment to Jenny Lewis, who is an amazing frontwoman. I read an article where Jenny and Blake were likened to being the Stevie Nicks and Lindsay Buckingham of the modern age. Well, the music is quite a bit different, but after spending the last six months emmersed in Rilo Kiley's three albums, I agree that Blake and Jenny are something special.

Overall, I'm happy with this album. I don't enjoy it as much as The Execution of All Things, but it has secured it's place in my car's elite wallet of CD's that I listen to regularly. I'm a big fan of the band's *sound* in this album - not necessarily the direction they went with the songwriting, but the overall production, guitar sounds, Jenny's voice, drums, I think it all sounds great. It makes me wish they would go back and rerecord Execution of All Things with the full sounding guitar sounds heard on "Portions For Foxes" replacing the thinner sounding parts in songs like "Spectacular Views". More Adventurous is definitely more polished.
The songs are good on More Adventurous... but they where, in my opinion, more consistently awesome on Execution of All Things. Some of the songs have lyrics that just kinda left me numb, not really feeling anything in any direction about the song. I'm not a big fan of this album's first track at all - I just don't like it when bands get all political or whatever - you're musicians, not politicians, and there's a reason for that. I think that the title track, Portions for Foxes, and Does He Love You? are some of the highlights of the album.
So my thoughts - if you love Rilo Kiley, get the album. If you've never listened to Rilo Kiley, get The Execution of All Things.

Right off the bat, "More Adventurous" is one captivating listen. I've read other critics reviews and for the most part, the album recieved good to great reiviews. Rolling Stone gave it three stars which is totally stupid because the only flaw they mentioned was that the album was somewhat "too precious"! So what's wrong with precious? I like precious! But not only is "More Adventurous" "precious", it's a beautiful and sweeping album.
1. It's a Hit (10/10)- Somewhat political but much more! It's my favorite song. "'Cause no one wants to pay to see your happiness/ no one wants to pay to see your day to day/ and I'm not buying it either but I'll try selling it anyway" It's filled with melodies of great lyrics/ orchastration/ and country-alt-pop-whatever-you-want-to-call-it-rock!
2. Does He Love You? (9/10)- Very solid, intimate, and very personal account of a love triangle ending in heartbreak. This is a "story" song that's almost epic. It cradles electric guitar and violins gracefully.
3. Portions for Foxes (10/10)- Great all around new wave rock song! Perfect lyrics ( when the lonliness leads to bad dreams/ and the bad dreams lead me to calling you/ and I call you and say, "COME HERE!" and perfect lead guitar done awesomely by Blake S. This will most likey be your favorite.
4. Ripchord- (9/10) A simple acoustic, lo-fi diddy done by lead guitarist and might I mention ex-salute your shorts cast member, Blake Sennet. No thrills here just darn catchy.
5. I Never (10/10)- Some might be annoyed by the amount of times Jenny Lewis says "never" but I love love love love love. . .this song! It reminds me of an old country song. You know, when country used to good? Lewis has an amazing voice.
6. The absence of God (9/10)- Acoustic based with a dash of trumpets. Very angelic, very addicting.
7. Accidental Deth (8/10) Some love this song but I only like it. Yes, it's a nod to The Postal Service, but you can't help but hope Ben Gibbard cuts in. Good song.
8. More Adventurous (10/10) This will probably be your least favorite song but I must say it has grown on me and I'm glad it has. It's very nice and lyrical. Lewis plays harmonica. The song is like an old western desert with the sun setting in the background. It's very "landscape-ish" I love it.
9. Love and War (8/10) Yes, more radio friendly but don't dismiss it for that fact. It's a good solid rock song.
10. Man/Me/Then Jim (10/10) Uh no a slow song. Hey, fine by me as long as it's as beautiful this.
11. It just Is (10/10) Sort (a little over 2 min) but great finale! Blake pulls off a nice guitar riff and the orchestration is excellent.
Rilo Kiley has honestly done a great job construcing such a mature album. I totally agree with the first reviewer here on amazon. I too have been listening to this album obsessively. Why? Because it's good and precious!

`More Adventurous' is the work of one of the `more promising' current young bands. This radio-ready group is built around, what we've been told are, ironically 2 tv actors, singer Jenny Lewis and guitarist Blake Sennett. They have written all the material here either collaboratively or separately. Like their contemporary, Bright Eyes, Lewis and Sennett are audacious writers whose conversational lyrics, curiously, pay no special heed to rhyme or, occasionally, meter, yet whose songs remain not only accessible, but riddled with hooks. Lewis is the rare singer who seems just as comfortable singing heart-wrenching ballads a la Patsy Cline or up-tempo rockers a la Chrissie Hynde. Special mention is hereby given to the wonderful, Lewis-penned, country-doo-wop ballad, `I Never'. With its cliché-twisting lyric; brain-searing melody; hypnotically repetitive use of the word `never'; Bennett's classic, guitar-driven coda after a tantalizing false ending; and the emotionally powerful singing of Ms. Lewis; it is one of the finest of pop songs and a constant temptation, when we hear it, to repeatedly hit the repeat button.

I have never posted an album review on here before, but "More Adventurous" has me feeling just that. The whole CD is amazing, and takes more than a casual listening to find the genius of it, but there is one song in particular that seems to be overlooked. To me, "Does He Love You?" should be the buzz of the entire album. Indeed, if you are an emotional listener then this song makes the entire album worth the purchase. The first time I listened to the CD was in my car while running errands. I wasn't able to devote a lot of attention to the lyrics, obviously, but "Does He Love You" caught my attention at the end, as the vocals turn to screams and the music crescendoes to an amazing climax. Wow, I had to listen to that song again. And I did. And again. And every time I listened to it, I paid close attention to what was being said (I didn't look at the lyrics--to me, for some reason, it always seems to spoil some of the mystique of the song to do so). And every time I listened I picked up something more from the story that Jenny is telling in this song. I urge everyone who's thinking about this album, and those who already own it, to give track 2 a few consecutive listens and see if it doesn't start to become your favorite song on the album, if not on most albums. It's deeply-layered, cathartic, and oh so powerful. I'm still exploring other tracks on the album, but "Does He Love You?" has such a complex, tightly woven story, while still being just mysterious enough, that it gives me so much respect for the band's abilities as lyricists more than musicians. If you know what I"m talking about, speak up.

I wasn't sure when I first heard this CD. I'm familiar with Rilo Kiley's past work; I've purchased their last two CDs, and drank up every song. This one though is a bit different. It's definitely more heavily produced than the others. It also goes in a different direction on every song. I really thought they'd made a bad decision to move away from the Saddle Creek umbrella they'd been mentored under until now.
Well my first impression was wrong. I admit it, I was wrong. After the second listen to this album I was shocked that I really couldn't stop listening to it. The songs like "Portions For Foxes" and "It Just Is" that will probably initially snag you start to fade from the spotlight as you start to pick up the intricacies and worth of the others on this amazing CD. Songs like "Does He Love You" and "I Never" started jumping out, and then it just became one really great album. Even when Jenny Lewis is singing about her friend hanging himself, you can't help but be warmed by her beautiful voice. Talent.
What I think I'm really trying to convey is that this CD might not jump right out and grab you, but if you give it a few listens, it doesn't start to grow on you, as much as you grow toward it. If you don't like this album than your taste has been killed by pop, and you should just go ahead and pick up whatever is on TRL, cause it's more accessible.

Ok, I admit it. I'm crazy for Rilo Kiley.

Now, that said, let me be honest here. At first I was dissapointed with their new album, "More Adventurous". It just didn't reach out and grab me like I had hoped it would. I was annoyed. I was dissapointed. I'd almost say I was hurt, like a trusted friend had let me down.

The thing is, though, I fell into my own trap. I've said before that Rilo Kiley is one of the world's most underrated bands, and it is absolutely true. For a few, however, the expectations for this album couldn't have been any higher. You see, Rilo Kiley's previous album "The Execution Of All Things", while widely overlooked, and even insulted by the measly 7.5 review it was given by Pitchfork, was recieved by fans as a true masterpiece.

For me personally, I believe that "The Execution Of All Things" is as close to modern pop perfection as we are likely to find in this lifetime. I have never, never in my life been so quickly drawn into an album. Not only did it immediately catch my interest, but it KEPT it. It kept getting better, and better, and better. It still gets better every time I hear it. Some would laugh in my face for this, but I would give the album a perfect 10. It is, to my ears, flawless.

You see, like I said before, Rilo Kiley is terminally underrated. On the surface they could easily be mistaken for some one-off bubblegum pop group. The truth of the matter, however, is that Rilo Kiley offers some of the deepest, catchiest, quirkiest, most bittersweet and endearing songs you will find in today's music world. Rilo Kiley is headphone music. There is deep, lush production, hidden bells and whistles, and always surprising and unconventional sounds.

A rich blend of pop vocals, prog-rock inspired guitar, and a hint of country twang, Rilo Kiley's songs cover a wide range of emotions from the blistering heights of love to the crushing defeats and humiliations that it brings just as easily. Innocence, guilt, self-awareness, self-loathing, whimsy and tragedy, its all in there. Lurking around every corner may be a new, challenging question of life, eternity, hope, or fear. Unafraid to question the inner workings of the self, Rilo Kiley explores the human condition with a brash and sometimes confrontational honesty that is both bitter and refreshing at the same time.

If "The Execution Of All Things" succeeds at all these things, it is indeed true that "More Adventurous" does not. But once I got over the initial realization that this album could most likely never have surpassed "The Execution Of All Things", certain things about it started to jump out at me. It started to creep into my thoughts. Slowly, but surely, it began to take over.

"More Adventurous" does succeed on many levels. It is not perfect, and though it does not reach the utter brilliance of songs like "A Better Son/Daughter" or "My Slumbering Heart" from their previous effort, it does show some real growth on the band's part. Most notably, this album features Rilo Kiley's lead singer Jenny Lewis' best work to date.

Jenny Lewis is a bit of an anomoly. Seemingly shy and innocent, she can also be harsh and explosive. Though her previous work has always been wonderful, she takes many risks here and really stretches her range. Though lyrically "The Execution Of All Things" may reign supreme, vocally "More Adventurous" is in a whole nother league. Jenny Lewis truly shines, like Aretha Franklin, Liz Phair, and Patsy Cline all wrapped up into one. I tend to fall deeply in love with completely unattainable women(Thora Birch and Scarlette Johanssen come to mind), and Jenny Lewis has certainly become the latest addition to the list. If nothing else, "More Adventurous" succeeds in letting her truly challenge herself, and the results are nothing short of breath-taking.

Blake Sennett's guitar work is as inspired as ever, creating perfectly timed hooks and complimenting Lewis's work expertly, whether it is a soft country ballad or a fierce and agressive rock song. On previous albums he has had at least a handfull of songs where he provided lead vocals, but here he takes a backseat to his counterpart and limits himself to one. Whether his role in the band is truly changing remains to be seen, but his instrumental work seems not to have suffered in the slightest.

The album's highlights include the slyly seductive "Portions for Foxes", "I Never" possibly Ms. Lewis' best vocal work to date, the experimental and wierd "Accidntel Deth" and "Love And War" which sound as if they had been produced by the Flaming Lips' Wayne Coyne, and perhaps the album's best song "A Man/ Me / Then Jim". The latter is a breezy yet haunting tune about the loss of innocence and crushing weight of the slow descent into unhappiness by a failing relationship. How a song so terribly sad could be so beautiful and catchy I'll never understand, but that is the genius of Rilo Kiley. Your heart will break, but you'll be smiling.

Ultimately, "More Adventurous" is not going to be remembered as Rilo Kiley's best work, but those caught in its grasp will surely never forget the feelings it creates. From a holiday for a hanging to the slow fade of love, Rilo Kiley will seduce you with its beauty and sting you with its unapologetic honesty. Whatever emotions they choose to invoke, you will be touched.