Customer Reviews
4-1/2 stars -- Shine on... 
2008-07-04
Although the band Rilo Kiley is mostly made up of former child actors, their names really didn't ring a bell to me. I had never heard of Jenny Lewis before, and the only place I remember Blake Sennett from was Salute Your Shorts (although he went by Blake Soper then). But the reason why it probably took a while for people to notice the band is because they are on Barsuk Records, and it always takes a while for those artists to get the exposure they deserve (ask Death Cab for Cutie). Still, I never would have heard of the band had it not been for some Wikipedia rumor that they were going to perform on the 33rd season premiere of Saturday Night Live after Amy Winehouse pulled out, but I'm sure glad I did.
Under the Blacklight is easily one of the best albums that came out last year. Jenny handles most of the lead vocals, and she handles them well, whether the songs are metaphors ("Silver Lining"; "The Angels Hung Around"), dysfunctional families ("15"), or songs that are just plain good ("Dejalo"; "Give a Little Love"). But Blake also does a good job handling the mic on "Dreamworld".
I knocked off half a star because at the end of the otherwise good "Breakin' Up", Jenny sings that "it feels good to be free" part in an odd tone. But the rest of Under the Blacklight is stellar enough for you to not even care, so pick it up.
Anthony Rupert
The Silver Lining 2008-06-26
While watching Logo one night I came across the video for "Silver Lining" and realized I had never heard of Rilo Kiley. That's right they are one of those bands that seemed to have fallen below my radar though they've been together since '98 and the lead singer even released a solo album.
What caught my attention at first made me think they were trying to be a harder version of Tori Amos, but the more I got into "Silver Lining" I realized how cool it was, and the rest of the album Under The Black Light is just as entertaining.
Not as brutal as a full on rock band yet not nearly as eccentric as Tori - they're more of an alternative set of the 80's combining some country-ish hooks with piano laden pop and rock. A bit like Miss Derringer minus the constant old west nods. It's pretty entertaining overall with "The Angels Hung Around" being a fun little highlight but "Silver Lining" is by far the best track.
Usually a big fan, but . . . 
2008-06-11
First off, I love "The Execution of all Things", really like "Take Offs and Landings", and "More Adventurous" is okay, but this new one is total CRAP! Just Awful. I even own "Rabbit Fur Coat", and both of The Elected's discs, and "Under the Blacklight" is easily the worst of the whole bunch.
Thank you Jenny & Rilo Kiley 
2008-06-10
Having loved their "more adventerous" album, esp. "It's A Hit" and many other greats that offered. Following Jenny Lewis with the Watson Twins and hearing "Rise Up With Fists" - I can fully see how "Silver Lining" has developed, awesome guitar work!!! 5/5 now this song should be a "hit".
The album is a lot more pop rock than alternaive but Jenny has a very strong controlled voice she treats us to some "ohhh's and ahhh's" particularly in "Close Call", "Breakin' Up", and "The Angels Hung Around".
Other favourites include: "15", and "Dejalo". All in all the album start to finish is listenable, very rare these days and I am glad to be spending money on artists like Rilo Kiley who don't produce junk, rather they produce quality pop infested tunes. It is a shame that most of their stuff won't get played in Auckland, NZ, however I am hopeful to see them on tour maybe some day and only wish they get more exposure to stadiums but hopefully the pressure doesn't ruin them!! Keep strong Rilo Kiley and thanks for a wonderful new album.
Spotlight on Blacklight 
2008-06-02
For those of us old enough to remember the shock when Fleetwood Mac made the sonic switch from Mystery to Me to Fleetwood Mac, you may feel Deja Vu if you listened to Rabbit Fur Coat before picking up "Under The Blacklight." While Rilo Kiley are still the same folks, the shift in style is evident from the moment "Silver Lining" does its faux Christine McVie...and sounds dang catchy doing it.
Thus marks the evolution of Rilo Kiley from indie band with some alt-country tendencies to alt-country band that polishes up the pop sheen and dives head first into the mainstream. From the enthusiastic dirty-pop of "The Moneymaker" to the Dusty in Memphis homage "15," this is as peppy a pop album as you're likely to hear. There's some obvious 70-80's nods to Southern California Pop here (Jackson Browne is even listed as a guest), and "Breaking Up" could have been a Rumours left-over. It's inescapably catchy.
What is also inescapable is just how much Rilo Kiley is becoming the Jenny Lewis Band. Blake Sennett only has two writers' credits (with his "Dreamworld" being a standout), where he was usually the co-conspirator on everything. With "Under The Blacklight" keeping so much of its focus on sleazy, dirty sex (Memphis horn embellishment or not, the deflowering of the girl in "15" is a bit disturbing, and "The Moneymaker" is an obvious hooker) and Jenny's voice, it's difficult to up the rating from three stars. Minus Sennett's additional input, album starts to lack lyrical variety. But if better than average SoCal Pop is your bag, "Under The Blacklight" is right up your sleazy back alley.
Wow - So glad I found this band 2008-05-15
Rilo Kiley’s most recent album, 2004’s More Adventurous, prompted Elvis Costello to praise the best lyric writing that I’ve heard in many a day, Coldplay to invite the band on its 2005 arena tour and a plethora of critics to vote the disc onto annual best of lists. That album sold 175,000 while Jenny Lewis’ solo record, 2006’s Rabbit Fur Coat, sold 100,000. Now the gloriously decadent Under The Blacklight, the group’s fourth album but first for Warner Bros., focuses even more intensely on what one critic has called lead singer-songwriter Jenny Lewis’ tangle of indie pop, torch song and too-cool-for-school cynicism. With Under The Blacklight, Rilo Kiley is ready to shine.
full of great songs! 2008-04-19
after listening to rilo kiley's previous albums it seems they changed their style a bit. now the whole album is pop songs instead of just 1 or 2.
i think everything until the end of Dejalo is wonderful. then the last track is good.
Good, upbeat album 2008-04-12
I have to say, I'm not a huge Rilo or Jenny fan but I do like this album becuase it is upbeat. Good to put on your iPod when you are working on a project around the house, etc. Not in-depth songwriting, but a "fun" album to listen to.
Matt Zarnstorff
Not like or as good as the previous Rilo Kiley CDs. 2008-04-11
Previous Rilo Kiley albums have been great indie pop music. If you're looking for more of the same, this isn't the place to find it.
Most of this is stale and lacks the energy and catchy melodies you might expect to find. I'm not sure if it's supposed to be radio-friendly or what. If that was the intention, I can understand that the artists need to make a living, so I can't blame them. But if that was the case, I imagine that the sound of previous Rilo Kiley albums would sell better, since the music was much better. But maybe I don't understand the tastes of the mainstream radio crowd.
This was released on Warner Brothers, the first major label Rilo Kiley CD. You'd imagine that if they got signed to the label because of Rilo Kiley's previous success, their popularity, and the strength of their music on previous albums, the label would encourage them to continue what they were doing and pump out more of the same. But this is nothing like what they released previously. I can't help but wonder to what degree they were pushed into creating this sort of "music".
This album is a hodgepodge of different styles. While I can understand the concept of making an album with a mix of styles, I don't think it works out very well here. I will write a little bit about each of the tracks and that will be it for this review.
1. Silver Lining - This is probably the closest to the previous Rilo Kiley albums in terms of style. The verse sections seem to work well and there was potential for a good song, but the chorus sucks and ruins the song.
2. Close Call - This reminds me of some mid-1990's radio rock. I don't really remember Joan Osborne ("What If God Was One Of Us"), but I'm imagining something like that but with a stronger beat and probably faster tempo.
3. The Moneymaker - Like some late 80's to early 90's rock that isn't very good.
4. Breakin' Up - This has elements of previous Rilo Kiley stuff as far as melodies go - pretty good. It also has a great dance pop feel and some disco elements. This is the best track on the album by far. I guess it is overly repetitive, but maybe the intention of the record label is to make it more like mainstream radio music?
5. Under The Blacklight - This is like some crossover alt-country garbage. And not in a good way. In the kind of way that you'd expect to find this on the adult contemporary radio station.
6. Dreamworld - This is the only track with male vocals (Blake?). I can see how some people might like this track. It's not a bad song. The instrumentals are decent, but the main melody in the vocals is pretty weak. Some people like that sort of style though, so maybe this one is for you.
7. Dejalo - Rilo Kiley meets Miami Sound Machine? Not very good.
8. 15 - Kind of bluesey. Like a laid back southern classic rock meets blues sort of thing. I think the original songs from that era beat this though.
9. Smoke Detector - 60's rock-and-roll? The lyrics are awful.
10. The Angels Hung Around - Maybe like late 90's commercial pop rock music or something? Can't quite place it. Pretty generic and not interesting though.
11. Give A Little Love - Do you like manufactured teen pop music? If you do, you'll like this song.
Conclusion: I would recommend against buying this CD if you wanted something like the previous Rilo Kiley music. Go ahead and download "Breakin' Up" though.
The end of the great Rilo Kiley? 2008-04-11
Before this album came out, Rilo Kiley was one of my very favorite bands. Their first 3 albums won me over with refreshingly unique and quirky music, fortified with beautifully thought-provoking and emotion-inducing lyrics. This album contains none of that. While it is expertly produced, the lyrics are stupid and the music is just one rehash of pop history after another, with virtually nothing added it to make it worthwhile. These songs are shallow. So disappointing after their earlier work. Hopefully, this is just a phase and the real Rilo Kiley will be back. For now, to those interested in hearing what RK is about, I recommend any of their other albums or Jenny's solo album.
