Jenny Lewis — Acid Tongue

It sounds like Lewis is aping Kate Bush on opener "Black Sand," and you start wondering if Acid Tongue is going to be a departure from her Rabbit Fur Coat solo debut with The Watson Twins. It quickly becomes clear that this isn't so. Lewis is joined by a slew of guests including M. Ward ("Pretty Bird") and his She & Him counterpart Zooey Deschanel, Rilo Kiley's Jason Boesel, The Black Crowes' Chris Robinson, Paz Lenchantin and even Elvis Costello. The disc is peppered with some great numbers, like "The Next Messiah," a nine-minute rockabilly-infused song that has a few interesting stylistic shifts throughout and somehow doesn't drag despite its length. "Carpetbaggers," featuring Costello, may be the most country thing on the disc, and the gospel-tinged title track and "Jack Killed Mom" are also similarly great. But for all the good songs, there are some stinkers that drag the disc down. "Black Sand" is a poor choice for an opener, and the quiet "Bad Man's World" shouldn't have followed "The Next Messiah." While Acid Tongue has its moments, it's ultimately pretty mediocre.

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