31st July - Rilo Kiley's Take Offs and Landings

Artist – Album: Rilo Kiley – Take Offs and Landings

Released:  31^st July 2001

Sounds Like: An answer!

 

It’s always been a curious source of disappointment for my laddish mates and inquisitive girlfriends that I’ve never really had a celebrity crush. When queried on it (which happened as recently as a few months ago) I tend to look sheepishly at my feet and mumble “Courtney Cox”: an answer that was patently acceptable back in her Friends heyday of the nineties but is horrifically outdated with her almost twice my age (which will be achieved on 15^th June 2014 when she celebrates her 50th; the next day, I will turn 26, smashing the symmetry). Where blokey university mates had posters of Jessica Alba in Sin City or the lead singer of Paramore plastered lovingly on their walls, I have the Blues Brothers, and Jack Lemon and (the admittedly beautiful) Shirley MacLaine from the Apartment on mine. All that being said, if I just remembered more often that I’m in love with Jenny Lewis, lead singer of Rilo Kiley, I would have a reply in stock that would brook no arguments. As well as being the literate, evocatively voiced singer of a cool indie band, a sometime actress, and a full 12 years younger than Courtney Cox, she is just simply gorgeous (yes, that makes for a similar CV to Zooey Deschanel, but Jenny’s so much less in your face about it). Gorgeous. I permit you to take a minute to Google or Wikipedia her. Go on…

 

See, isn’t she cool?

 

Of course, there’s a danger that her prettiness may blind me to the naffness of her band. But I think – I think – that this is a fine album. Songs such as ‘Wires and Waves’ have the driving melodies and infectious hooks that made ‘Portion for Foxes’ a minor hit for the group a few years later, whilst the gently soothing ‘Science Vs. Romance’ is a lovely slow burner. ‘Pictures of Success’ is pleasingly melodramatic, whereas ‘Bulletproof’ makes good use of Lewis’ sweet vocals. There’s certainly nothing revolutionary about this record, but its simple folk and poppy indie makes for a rewarding listen. And I’m not just saying that to impress Jenny.

 

Albumaday... rating: 7/10

 

1.       Go Ahead – 3:34

2.       Science vs. Romance – 5:43

3.       Wires and Waves – 3:17

4.       Pictures of Success – 6:51

5.       August – 3:18

6.       Bulletproof – 1:57

7.       Plane Crash in C – 5:11

8.       Variations on a Theme (Science vs. Romance) – 0:36

9.       Small Figures in a Vast Expanse – 3:19

10.   Don’t Deconstruct – 2:37

11.   Always – 4:00

12.   We’ll Never Sleep (God Knows We’ll Try) – 2:54

13.   Rest of My Life – 2:10

14.   Variations on a Theme (Plane Crash in C) – 1:35

15.   Spectacular Views (Salute MY Shorts!)

 

Listen to ‘Wires and Waves’: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TlP9Opw8ZHg