Jenny Lewis: Rabbit Fur Coat : Music Reviews : Rolling Stone

Album Reviews

Conor Oberst may grow to regret encouraging Jenny Lewis, leader of the idiosyncratic California band Rilo Kiley, to release her debut solo album on his label. The inviting, country-fried disc -- with its warsh-your-sins-away vocal harmonies (from folk duo the Watson Twins), barbed lyrics and homespun arrangements -- makes her a strong contender for his crown as Gen Y's premier old-school singer-songwriter. Her girlishly seductive vocals are more versatile than ever; she sounds like Lucinda Williams' clean-living little sis on the gorgeous, full-moon ballad "Happy" and delivers a poppy chorus with Sheryl Crow-ish Zlan on "Rise Up With Fists!!" Perhaps best of all, Lewis enlists Oberst and Death Cab for Cutie's Ben Gibbard to risk their indie cred with an affectionate cover of a dad-rock fave, the Traveling Wilburys' "Handle With Care."