A slight aftertaste

Jenny Lewis is back just a year after releasing Under the Blacklight with Rilo Kiley and two years after her solo debut Rabbit Fur Coat. The indie-pop princess does not disappoint, but compared to the brilliance of Rabbit, Acid Tongue is certainly missing some key aspects.

Best known for her strong vocals with a mixture of country, blues, rock and gospel, it’s off-putting on “Black Sand” and “Trying My Best To Love You” when Lewis presents a previously unheard upper register. She can hit the notes, but her voice is drowned out by everything else.

Lewis’ strongest number is the title track in which she details her (supposedly) first and only acid trip in her typical, vulnerable, but tough manner.

In “Carpetbaggers” she duets with an old-school-sounding Elvis Costello and in “Jack Killed Mom” she tells a chilling tale with her bluesy rock ’n’ roll twang at its best. As with Rabbit and Rilo Kiley albums, Lewis’ storytelling is both violent and beautiful; she’s unafraid to chronicle memories of abuse, love gone awry and debauchery.   

Lewis invited many other well-known voices to sing with her, including Chris Robinson, Zooey Deschanel, her boyfriend Jonathan Rice and even her own family members. Yet it’s hard not to miss the sweet addition of the Watson Twins, with whom Lewis recorded all of Rabbit.

And then there’s the epic-length “The Next Messiah,” which is actually three songs not-so-seamlessly blended together into a nine-minute montage of rock, country and soul. If the same effort had been poured into just one of the three movements, it could have resulted in a single stellar track.

Lewis never fails to exhibit her talent, and Acid Tongue is still brilliant, but it’s not as coherent as her first album. For fans excited by her edgier material this album is a quality choice. However, for those longing for her crystal clear vocals, Acid Tongue may not taste as appetizing.