Jenny Lewis bought a house in LA’s Laurel Canyon and with her boyfriend, Johnathan Rice, helped resurrect the storied singer-songwriter scene Joni Mitchell smoked her way through in the ’60s. I’m Having Fun Now is reminiscent of that sound, with its warm, laidback acoustic vibe and dreamy girl-boy harmonies. As with Rilo Kiley, Jenny and Johnny works best when Lewis takes the lead—though Rice has a lovely voice—singing about lost loves, modern fakes and all kinds of snakes (a recurring theme). Lewis is one of indie rock’s pre-eminent singers, and “Big Wave” is one of the best vocals she’s ever laid to tape, the highest peak in this chill valley.
This article appears in Aug 26 – Sep 1, 2010.