Jenny Lewis — Rabbit Fur Coat

The standout track on Rilo Kiley's last LP was "I Never," featuring the debut of Jenny Lewis' impressive country croon. Rabbit Fur Coat picks up where that song left off, dropping her usual Cali-pop in favour of some old school gospel, soul and country. Luckily, she gets it right and the musical surroundings don't feel forced — Lewis is sincere in her imitation. She remains the smart storyteller, wordy and witty, though with a few more "devils," "have mercies" and "grace of Gods" thrown in. There's an even split of swinging, upbeat ditties and slow lips-to-the-microphone reflections. The only misstep is an inspired but out-of-place Traveling Wilburys cover with several of Lewis' indie-rock SuperFriends.

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