ACL Fest Friday Reviews

Jenny Lewis

Relish Jenny Lewis' Acid Tongue wherever it flickers. Inserted in the same juicy ear as 2007's glowing hook-fest Under the Blacklight, "Black Sand" draws its line through similarly piano-whetted tales of romantic dalliances. "Pretty Bird" then lands in Kate Bush's aviary. So begins the album's manipulative yin-yang, "The Next Messiah" walking a divine bassline before "Badman's World" wanders into pensive James Brown territory. Then the title cut strums one of Lewis' greatest hits, delivered with the Hollywood screen-queen confidence of her first solo album, Rabbit Fur Coat (2006). "See Fernando" cues up next like ABBA. Debuted on Blacklight's world tour along with Tongue's B-grade "Carpetbaggers" (with Elvis Costello) and B-movie "Jack Killed Mom," it adds to the LP's hodgepodge feel and sequencing stumble. Simple piano/bass head-bob "Sing a Song" closes, reaffirming that Jenny Lewis' tongue lashings can't be matched for cheap thrills. (5:45pm, WaMu stage.)