Album Review: Jenny Lewis - The Voyager

“I been wearing all black since the day it started/As I stopped and looked back as my mind departed” opens Jenny Lewis’ third solo album, and despite the dark content quoted, she delivers it with the golden freshness of dawn.

As with most of Lewis’ back catalogue (with the exception of her Jenny & Johnny album), the focal point is her swoon-worthy voice, followed by her varied lyrics, followed by her arrangements and instrumental accompaniments.

The vast majority of this record could have probably been released at any point of her career (in fact, the refrain on Slippery Slopes is dangerously similar to the title of Rilo Kiley’s Under The Blacklight). Not that that’s a bad thing. In fact, by virtue of Lewis’ discography, the familiar sound of The Voyager makes it simply brilliant.

Despite Lewis’ fiercely independent sound, her penchant for collaboration continues on this record, with Ryan Adams and Beck chipping in on production duties.

There are moments, like Late Bloomer – a tale of Parisienne love featuring gloriously simple lyrics like “Nancy came from Boston/She got in trouble very often” – that harbour alt-country tendencies, but more often than not the jangly pop guitars and unremarkable (yet utterly dependable) rhythm section recall pure indie rock.

Six years have passed since Lewis’ last solo album, and it’s been 15 years since her musical career took off, but The Voyager is as striking an album as she’s made. Let’s all hold hands and ask in our nicest voice for a tour please.