On The Line
| Jenny Lewis
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On The Line
On the Line is the fourth studio album by American singer-songwriter Jenny Lewis. The album was released on March 22, 2019, by Warner Bros. Records. Recorded at Capitol Records' Studio B, the album has contributions from Beck, Ringo Starr, Ryan Adams, Don Was, Benmont Tench, Jason Falkner, and Jim Keltner.-Wikipedia
Critic Reviews
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Thank Folk For That
As the album rolls towards its conclusion there is a sense that these songs are redefining who Jenny Lewis really is as a musical entity. Eschewing the guitar-led material of the past for the more sensual soundscapes of ‘Taffy’ and ‘On The Line’ suggest that her model approach has shifted towards something more sophisticated, yet on the latter this means looking back to a more uncomplicated analogue age. It’s not a bad policy when the songwriting is so visually arresting as it is here and the result is Jenny Lewis’ most consistent solo record to date.
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Pitchfork
The fourth album from the California indie rock icon features some of her strongest songwriting, sung gorgeously and told with biting detail.
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Consequence of Sound
Lewis’ songs have always been mature and introspective, but On the Line reaches new heights as she explores from a changed perspective. She delves into murky waters, telling the complicated stories that arise when your feelings are conflicted and strained.
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NME
The former child's star's emotionally resonant, Ringo Starr-featuring fourth album is up there with her greatest work to date, packed with searing lyrics and solid-gold melodies
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The Atlantic
Lewis seems to be empathizing with the way addiction, distraction, and alienation from life are linked for everyone, whether a person’s vice is drugs or Candy Crush. The hardest gut punch comes in a casual memento mori bordering on—but transcending—cliché: “Everybody knows we’re in trouble.” Connect while you can.
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Variety
On her first album in five years, which is steeped in loss, Lewis no longer seems such a cipher; she has warmed to the possibility that the personal can still be poetic. The modern industry is not always a patient creature, but Lewis prioritized the creative process and it shows.
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Paste
On The Line, her best solo work to date, finds her trading chaos for peace and pain for parties. And West Coast rock combined with piano glam and Lewis’ lyrics makes for a most celebratory listen, indeed.
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DIY
A stately and unhurried affair that methodically untangles heartbreak with sharp storytelling and her trademark rapier wit.
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Vulture
On the Line is a triumph of patient refinement. It took a few tries to develop a body of songs this comfortably impressionistic and this wide-ranging in style.
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Drowned in Sound
On the Line is all about Jenny Lewis. She is older, somewhat more sorrowful and her voice is beginning to mature into a bourbon-cask of love and loss. But there are few who can capture your heart – the dark and the light - like she can. In a career that has rarely missed a beat in 20 years, On the Line is yet another beautifully-realised and impeccably-delivered effort from a songwriter who revels and beguiles us from floorboards and pavements that few other songwriters would dream to tread.
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AV Club
On The Line preserves the irreverence and honesty of her past work, but underscores that Lewis is finding a new, deeper musical path drawing from—but not beholden to—grief and rebirth.
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The Line Of Best Fit
On The Line may not be her strongest work, no matter how much it aims to be but it proves that Jenny Lewis doesn't need to try too hard to become one of the greats. She's already been one for a while.
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Music OMH
While On The Line is an album full of bleak subject matter, there’s an uplifting, even cathartic feel to much of it. It’s the sound of someone coming out of the darkness, and starting to see the light shining through. It’s also an album which gets better with each listen as its little subtleties and intricacies reveal themselves.
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The Young Folks
The thrilling energy of the album doesn’t preclude Lewis from crafting complex stories about equally complex emotions. Rather, the combination of deep feeling and intricate psych-rock creates a potent mix that hits you instantly—not unlike the “Red Bull & Hennessy” featured on one of the most hard-rocking songs of the album.
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The Current
Jenny Lewis put herself on the emotional line with this album, and I think fans will appreciate the insight into what makes her tick, and will likely relate to the grieving process and the notion of moving on and coming out OK on the other end of emotional turmoil. Put the record on and sit back and feel the feels with Jenny.
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Cryptic Rock
On The Line is both a familiar and fresh undertaking—a good balance of Indie’s quirkiness and Pop’s sensibilities. Certainly maturing and her stylistic scope further broadening, Lewis proves that she still has lots of treats and tricks to pull from her hat of musical ideas.
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Daily Nebraskan
While her work in Rilo Kiley remains undoubtedly excellent, “On The Line” cements Lewis’ impact as a solo artist. Her maturity and prowess in songwriting bleed through every wailed lyric and meticulously arranged guitar lead, making for one of her most exciting works yet.
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The Alternative
On the Line doesn’t feel like shaking hands with a friend turned stranger. It feels like a rushing euphoria full of tight hugs for a long-lost friend that’s returned just when you need them to.
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