Rilo Kiley - Under the Blacklight

'Under the Blacklight' is the new offering from LA indie band Rilo Kiley. The album is the first release since members, Jenny Lewis and Blake Sennet, released solo projects (Lewis with 'Rabbit Fur Coat' and Sennet with 'Sun. Sun, Sun' with The Elected). In fact, it has been a solid three years since the band released More Adventurous, gained critical acclaim and opened some dates on Coldplay's North American Twisted Logic tour back in 2005. Taking time off to pursue solo projects can be upsetting to fans, especially if it turns out to be a flop (not here mind you). But the time away from each other seems to have paid off.

Rilo Kiley is back with a fresh new sound. Now. I know that hearing someone say that one of your favourite bands has a 'new sound', has the tendency to make some music fans nervous, while critics will proceed to sing the praises of the group. But I am happy to report that in Rilo Kiley's case, the critics have it right.

'Under the Blacklight' is a good album. In fact, I was pleasantly surprised at how greay it really is. The band released 'The Moneymaker' as their first single. The song is a great departure from any Rilo Kiley song I have ever heard and I think it's quite different from the other songs on the album. Its one of those songs that Rilo fans will either love or hate. Personally I think it's a great song but I'm thrilled that the group is set to release 'The Silver Lining' as their second single. I heard the first 30 seconds of this song and knew that I loved it and that never happens to me. It has a cool bluesy-country-alt-rock vibe to it. Another song that is quickily becoming a favourite of mine and is worth checking out is called 'Dreamworld.' On it, Sennet takes the role of lead vocalist, while Lewis sings back-up.

The band are currently playing some dates in Europe and then begin their North American tour in September. Here are some select dates (visit their MySpace page for a full list of dates):

Sept. 6, 2007: San Francisco - The Warfield

Sept. 7, 2007: Portland, Oregon - Crystal Ballroom

Sept. 15, 2007: Chicago, Illinois - Riviera Theater

Sept. 18, 2007: Toronto, Ontario - Phoenix Theater
Sept. 19, 2007: Montreal, Quebec - La Tulipe

Sept. 21, 2007: Boston, Mass. - Avalon

Download (mp3): The Silver Lining
MySpace: Rilo Kiley
Rilo Kiley: Official Website

Buy Under the Blacklight