Rilo Kiley

Under the Blacklight (Warner Bros.)

Some critics give Rilo Kiley the benefit of the doubt on their major-label debut, attempting to spin the L.A. outfit’s fourth LP not as a sellout, but as “taking risks.” Bullshit. There’s nothing particularly risky about adding a fresh layer of lipgloss and talking dirty. This is not new territory. Does Jenny Lewis want to reinvent herself as some sort of nasty girl who’ll bang you for the price of a couple of appletinis? “The Moneymaker,” Under the Blacklight‘s first single, one tale of many here about women selling their bodies, implies as much. It, along with the slinky “Close Call”; “Dejalo,” a Latin-tinged celebration of three-way love; and “15,” an apology for pederasty, suggest that Lewis has been making too many imaginary trips to seedy motels, where black lights reveal things best left in the dark, much like this grotesque attempt at a more “adult” sound.

*.5

This article appears in September 14 • 2007.

A note to readers: Bold and uncensored, The Austin Chronicle has been Austin’s independent news source for over 40 years, expressing the community’s political and environmental concerns and supporting its active cultural scene. Now more than ever, we need your support to continue supplying Austin with independent, free press. If real news is important to you, please consider making a donation of $5, $10 or whatever you can afford, to help keep our journalism on stands.

SUPPORT US