{"id":28691,"date":"2019-04-30T03:44:33","date_gmt":"2019-04-30T11:44:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thelefortreport.com\/blog\/?p=28691"},"modified":"2019-04-30T16:25:07","modified_gmt":"2019-05-01T00:25:07","slug":"watch-jenny-lewiss-superb-unplugged-set-for-the-current","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thelefortreport.com\/blog\/2019-04\/watch-jenny-lewiss-superb-unplugged-set-for-the-current\/","title":{"rendered":"Watch Jenny Lewis’s Superb Unplugged Set for The Current"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Excuse us, but we have gone down the rabbit hole and been deeply immersed in Jenny Lewis’s<\/a><\/strong> new album, On The Line<\/a><\/em><\/strong>, a ten-furlong front-runner for Best Album of 2019<\/strong> so far. Lewis’s<\/strong> new album is stupendously well-crafted and, despite its sing-song melodies, manages to convey a wonderwall of hurt behind its Brill-building facade. Such has been the case with Lewis<\/strong> for over 20 years, beginning with her seminal band Rilo Kiley<\/strong> in 1998, but On The Line<\/em><\/strong> shows Lewis<\/strong> at the height of her artistry. Simply put, Lewis<\/strong> is one of the best songwriters and artists extant and deserves every accolade she receives. If you haven’t, we recommend you immediately dive deep into On The Line<\/a><\/em><\/strong> and look out for her upcoming shows (including at San Luis Obispo’s Fremont Theater<\/strong> on May 25th<\/strong>) HERE<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To get a feel for Lewis’s<\/strong> manifold gifts, check out below the superb unplugged (mostly) performance by Lewis<\/strong>, band and string-players as captured by The Current<\/a> <\/strong>days after the new album was released. Watch as Lewis<\/strong> commands attention throughout, performing and singing with the feel and vocal aplomb of the likes of Mitchell (Joni), Sinatra<\/strong> and [pick-a-totem-of-taste]. There is magic at every turn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lewis<\/strong> answers the set’s opening bell wearing a boxer’s robe and playing piano on a particularly moving Heads Gonna Roll<\/strong><\/em>, and then segues into knowing winks at the camera and plucked\/pizzicato strings on the forlorn Wasted Youth<\/em><\/strong>. The loping arrangement and her phrasing on Party Clown<\/em><\/strong> are beguiling throughout. Red Bull & Hennessy<\/strong><\/em> benefits from her crystalline vocals (that high note at 18:58!), the downshifted mien, and guitarist Dylan Day’s<\/strong> subtle, note-perfect accents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As great as the songs are from On The Line<\/em><\/strong>, the tour de force here is her cover of Bob Dylan’s<\/strong> Standing in the Doorway.<\/em><\/strong> With its Joni-like<\/strong> arrangement (circa Hejira\/Hissing of Summer Lawns<\/em><\/strong>) and vocal- inflections, together with the letter-perfect support on violin, upright bass and guitar, the performance is breathtaking. Dylan Day’s<\/strong> solo at the 24:00 mark (wow!) is magnificent in its skilled subtlety. Day even manages to out-channel “the channeler” himself (the other Daniel–Daniel Lanois<\/strong>, who produced the original version of the song for Dylan <\/strong>on Time Out of Mind<\/em><\/strong>). The set closes with a stunning, upbeat Rabbit Hole<\/em><\/strong>, featuring mostly finger-plucked strings and violin. Honestly, does it get any better?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We can’t wait to catch Lewis<\/strong> and crew in May. Brava!<\/p>\n\n\n\n