By J. Maggio, November 2008
Acid Tongue, Warner Bros.
I was primed to take pleasure in this album; I enjoyed Jenny Lewis’ last CD, I really am fond of Rilo Kiley, and, to be honest, big breasts turn me on a lot. But this is a horrible CD only somewhat redeemed by the presence of Elvis Costello—who must also like big boobies, too—on its best track, “Carpetbaggers.” Gone are the insightful lyrics of previous Jenny Lewis output, only to be replaced with hackneyed and banal lines like “our love is thicker than angel wings” and “nobody believes a liar.” Wow! Like Sarah Palin, even Lewis’ “hotness” cannot redeem the complete lack of substance. Some songs—like the horrifying “The Next Messiah”—even sound like they are based around the first riff the guitarist played at practice. Even when Lewis’ voice takes a nice timbre in the Dusty Springfield tradition, the lyrics are so hideous, and the melody so bland that one cannot help but press “skip” on the iPod. The title track and the Elvis Costello duo are about the only two songs of value on this ghastly CD. I think I will stick with Lewis’ older work, and looking at pictures of her best “features”—ironically knowing that I am not sexist at all.