CD Review: Jenny Lewis, 'Acid Tongue'

NOT LONG AGO, STARBUCKS discontinued the bulk of its music retailing. There was not, that I noticed, much of an outcry in response.

Nonetheless, Barnes and Noble stepped in to fill the void for fans of inoffensive pop with a series of compilations called "Sunday Music."

Having (full disclosure) worked for the company, I feel sufficiently qualified to define this invented genre. Sunday music is for shopping, reading the paper or really savoring some sort of "skinny" espresso concoction. Sunday music is pleasant enough but will not distract you from your other leisure activities. Sunday music is Norah Jones.

For the bulk of her new album, "Acid Tongue" (Warner Bros.), Sunday music is also Jenny Lewis.

"Black Sand" is an inexplicable choice for an opening track, transitioning from merely boring to outright grating in less than three minutes. The unobtrusive instrumentation compels the listener to focus on Lewis' falsetto cooing, which is absurdly high in the mix. The three-minute song seems to last much longer, largely because of the phrase "On the black sand" is shrilly repeated ad nauseam.

Nearly as annoying is "Bad Man's World," featuring an equally narcotizing arrangement of brushed drums, some piano, intermittent bass and string flourishes. As with "Black Sand," both the vocals and the lyrics are underwhelming. Lewis sings, "It's a bad man's world / I'm a bad, bad girl" followed by "mmmm" and what I can only describe as moaning. Maybe someone finds this nonsense seductive, but that person is probably picturing Jenny Lewis in hot pants.

Lewis is more palatable on "Acid Tongue's" upbeat tracks. Oddly, the nearly nine-minute "The Next Messiah" exhausted my patience the least. It boasts a fuller, more country-influenced sound than the other tracks (including audible guitars!), and the medley-like structure allows for some engaging transitions and tempo shifts. Additionally, Lewis sounds infinitely more comfortable and appealing singing lower in her range, and a male guest vocalist and backing chorus contribute a little contrast.

"See Fernando" is less epic, but still a refreshingly rollicking jolt of fun compared with the surrounding dreariness. "Carpetbaggers," a duet with Elvis Costello, is by no means as enjoyable as an actual Costello composition, but could inspire some mild foot-tapping, particularly if you're deep into your third latte by the eighth track.

"Jack Killed Mom" has some interesting gospel-influenced vocal arrangements, as Lewis alternates between leading and accompanying a "choir" including Chris Robinson of The Black Crowes.

"Acid Tongue" was apparently recorded mostly in live takes, and while this allows for an appealing looseness on the more propulsive offerings, it doesn't make the ballads any less schlocky or, more damningly, boring.

Lewis' last album, "Rabbit Fur Coat," was a more cohesive effort, with a folky, rootsier sound throughout. Her latest has a few tracks that would have fit in on that release, but the majority is painfully bland.

"Acid Tongue" may briefly fill the mellow void for obsessive Norah Jones fans, but frankly Sunday music doesn't inspire much fanaticism, and this album demonstrates exactly why.

» Sixth & I Historic Synagogue, 600 I St. NW; Thu., Oct. 2, 7 p.m., sold out; 202-364-1919. (Gallery Place-Chinatown)

Written by Express contributor Meg Zamula

Photo by Autumn DeWilde