Album of the moment - 12:51 a.m., Wednesday

Jenny Lewis - Acid Tongue

I've been meaning to write about this record for a while now. It's the second solo release by Rilo Kiley frontwoman Jenny Lewis. Her first was Rabbit Fur Coat, with the Watson Twins, in 2006.

Rilo Kiley fans might be disappointed with this album, as they were with Rabbit Fur Coat. In fact, I know they are. I've talked to a few.

The reason for the disappointment is that these two records find Jenny embracing American roots music rather than the hip indie style that she practices with Rilo Kiley. Acid Tongue is all about folk, blues and (gasp!) country. It definitely has a little twang and a bit of affected Southern accent. And so, if you're expecting Rilo Kiley, you may be surprised, but this is a great album all the same. It's like Rabbit Fur Coat, but better.

The title track is a good example of how well this little change of pace really works. It's a sweet country ballad, mostly just Jenny with an acoustic guitar and some extra voices to sing the harmonies on the chorus. Her voice is beautiful, and the song strolls along like a leisurely lesson in good songwriting.

The lyrics also explain the meaning behind the album's title: "Cause I've been down to Dixie and dropped acid on my tongue/Tripped upon the land 'till enough was enough." Upon closer inspection of the album's cover, I realized that it's a sheet of blotter acid with a little picture of Jenny Lewis on each hit. Guess she's not as innocent as she sounds.

There's more to this album than slow country songs, of course. "The Next Messiah" is a near nine minutes of rocking, stomping blues. It's practically a mini rock opera, with several different movements that eventually make their way back to a common musical motif.

"See Fernando" is another standout rocker, while "Carpetbaggers" sounds a little like something you might hear in a honky tonk somewhere in the Midwest. Elvis Costello repays Lewis for her guest appearance on his most recent album, Momofuku, by contributing to the song. No offense to Mr. Costello, but here Lewis outclasses him easily. The man's a legend, but after hearing an album's worth of Lewis's smooth-as-butter singing, Costello's impression of a constipated Tom Petty on the second verse is rather jarring. He calms down a little after that, and while I'm not convinced his appearance is completely necessary, the song is still ultra-catchy.

Lewis's voice leaps throughout the album from sugary on songs like "Black Sand" and "Trying My Best to Love You" to downright raunchy on "Jack Killed Mom." It's all very satisfying. Acid Tongue comes highly recommended. It might not be Rilo Kiley, but it also might be better.

Download: "Carpetbaggers," "Acid Tongue"

-- Andrew