Audio By Carbonatix
In a sense, More Adventurous is what Rilo Kiley has been building toward since the rickety country licks of 2001’s Take Offs and Landings and the sugar-spun indie-pop heartbreak of 2002’s The Execution of All Things. The L.A. band’s first disc on its own imprint is a startling modernization of torch and twang, amped up to eleven by rock-riffing, lush production, and twinkling orchestration.
Anchored by Jenny Lewis’s clear-as-a-bell sweetness, “I Never” starts with gooey strings and Patsy Cline cooing, and ends in a raucous guitar solo that screams vintage Boston. “It’s a Hit” adds a shower of jaunty horns to its dusty twang, and guitarist-vocalist Blake Sennett’s own composition, “Ripchord,” is the soundtrack to a lo-fi luau.
But not everything here takes its cue from country greats. Highlights such as “Portions for Foxes” and the New Pornographers-style “Love and War (11/11/46)” flex their new-wave power-pop muscles, while Dntel’s Jimmy Tamborello infuses “Accidntel Deth” with heartbeat bloops and jerky robot rhythms. Sure, Rilo Kiley’s genre-splicing occasionally makes More Adventurous feel a bit crowded and jumbled, but the bigger, brighter sound hasn’t diminished the quirky heart that makes this band deserving of great things.
When news happens, Miami New Times is there —
Your support strengthens our coverage.
We’re aiming to raise $30,000 by December 31, so we can continue covering what matters most to you. If Miami New Times matters to you, please take action and contribute today, so when news happens, our reporters can be there.
