9.03.2010

CD REVIEW: Jenny And Johnny "I'm Having Fun Now"

I'm Having Fun Now
Real life couple Jenny Lewis and Johnathan Rice have been making music together for years. Rice has released a few solo albums and Lewis has released a ton of music as a solo artist and as singer for indie rock band Rilo Kiley. They have been collaboration together as well, on many of their individual releases, but, until now, they have not made music together in this form. The album is truly theirs, as they play more than 90% of the musical parts, as well as do all of the singing, lyric writing, and production. It is an album full of music that is reminiscent of 90's era college rock, west coast surf rock from the 50's, and a little bit of their individual styles from their recent work. "Scissor Runner" is a poppy tune that may lead the way as a breakout single and "Big Wave" musically depicts the demise of the California financial sector. Jenny and Johnny are two of the most outstanding musicians on the indie circuit and as collaborators their excellence is magnified. These two are certain to have a potential new musical career to focus on, especially following the success of other collaborative acts, particularly She & Him (M. Ward & Zooey Deschanel).