Disco de Rilo Kiley: “Execution of All Things”

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.