Jenny Lewis Jams It Up Lively On Jaunty ‘Joy’All’ (ALBUM REVIEW)

Photo Credit: Bobbi Rich

When “Love Feel”, the fuzzed up, country tinged, groovy jam session track that name checks Johnny Cash and John Prine (and more) wraps up, Jenny Lewis giggles, “That’s fun!”. It certainly is and Lewis seems to be having a whole lot of fun throughout the ten tunes contained on the jaunty Joy’All, her new record and her first on the legendary Blue Note label.    

The album art layout and photo of Lewis is a tribute to her new hometown, Nashville (where the album was also recorded) and singer/songwriter Skeeter Davis in particular, as she wears her actual outfit that Lewis found at Black Shag Vintage in town. Nashville infuses the album from cover to core as Lewis worked with producer David Cobb who also contributed musically along with his band, bassist Brian Allen and drummer Nate Smith.  

The opening “Psychos” sounds like an extension of Lewis’ modern Fleetwood Mac, late 70’s Los Angeles inspired sound, with slick production and backing vocals from Jess Wolfe, but it also incorporates Greg Leisz’s pedal steel guitar bringing it back to Tennessee. “Apples and Oranges” deploys a country groove and Jon Brion’s chamberlain work throughout the smirking/affecting song about relationships while “Balcony” is a returning from pandemic effort focused on friendship reunions with excellent vocals. 

Things aren’t all cowboy hats and boots though, Lewis delivers some dancey, percussion lead indie pop on the title track (complete with hand claps and great bass runs) and continues that dance ready vibe on the light hearted “Cherry Baby”, both of which get the body moving. The only outlier on the record is “Essence of Life”, a slow building, overly dramatic number that is fine as is, but seems out of place on the breezy album. 

The cliché filled “Giddy Up” is more par for the course as the bass lightly bumps, organs swirl and birds chirp to close. The highlight of Joy’All is the insanely catchy “Puppy and a Truck” which finds Lewis examining life in her mid-40’s with a smile, a head shake, some margaritas, unconditional love from a hypoallergenic poodle while cruising in a Chevrolet. The tune has an almost Jimmy Buffet like sound as the laid back positive vibes flow out around easy percussion, pedal steel and confident singing.  

Trying on outfits/styles, genres/sounds is all second nature for Lewis and while there are clear country touches throughout Joy’All, Lewis manages to make them her own, evolving, writing, and singing with a sense of palpable happiness and freedom.

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