The Woodside World               

              Woodside High School's Online Student Newspaper

Journalism and Radio Reunite 

Interview with Ms. Aldrich about the new Woodside World Journalism-Radio project.

By: Allison McElwee 

    Rilo Kiley’s fourth album, Under the Blacklight, was released Tuesday, August 24th. After spending an hour and a half traveling up and down El Camino on that sunny summer afternoon, I finally reached the record. Despite my souring mood due to my scorching travels, I was excited yet nervous for the band’s major label debut. After all, they had not released any new material since I was just beginning high school.
Since 2004’s More Adventurous, both lead vocalist Jenny Lewis, and lead guitarist, Blake Sennet have released works aside from Rilo Kiley. Sennet’s side project The Elected, released its sophomore album the same month as Jenny Lewis made her solo debut with Rabbit Fur Coat.
Under the Black Light sets itself at a faster pace than prior Rilo Kiley releases which for even the most die hard fans is quite an adjustment. With their new fast pace, Rilo Kiley left behind the overall depth of their lyrics. The album draws from a heavier retro-pop influence not seen in their previous more folk-inspired albums, Takeoffs and Landings, The Execution of All Things, and More Adventurous.
    Under the Blacklight showcases Rilo Kiley’s growing acclaim with appearances by folk icon Jackson Browne that may provide some appeal to the older set.
    The heartbreaking melody of the opening track, “Silver Lining,” is just enough to steal the show. It provides the most gripping lyrics of the album, accompanied by stylish instrumentals, proving to be one of the album’s highlights.
    Going along with the tradition of prior albums, Lewis once again handed over the microphone to Blake Sennett for a track on “Dream World.” The dance track is definitely atypical of Sennett’s normal raw folk contribution, however it proves to be a surprising success.
The album hits a bit of a sour note with its title track. Under the Blacklight is an overly pop-tinged ballad, however, despite its apparent distinction from the rest of Rilo Kiley’s work, it successfully allows Lewis to employ her full vocal range.
As for the experimental aspects of the album, Lewis even tries out her Spanish on the bilingual tune “Dejalo.”
The album almost finishes on a good note with the tenth track, “The Angels Hung Around,” however is followed by an almost hip hop drawn piece at the end “Give a Little Love.” ‘The Angels Hung Around’ sees some of the lyrical depth, which is absent from the majority of the album. The lyrics make possible references to Sennet and Lewis’s stints as child stars on Boy Meets World, Golden Girls, and endless amounts of commercials.
    Under the Blacklight starts and (almost) ends with masterpieces with a few rough spots in between. Overall, it can be seen as a positive contribution to your Rilo Kiley collection. Rilo Kiley played to an almost sold out Warfield in San Francisco on September 6th.