Description
In 2021 Jenny Lewis enrolled in an all-star songwriting workshop organised by her friend and sometime-collaborator Beck, who challenged her to write a track every day in her Tennessee home to a series of specific guidelines. Those efforts form the bulk of the ex-Rilo Kiley frontwoman’s fifth solo album ‘Joy’All’, a record chiefly influenced by how the pandemic-pause caused her to reflect on her life and various losses, before concluding that the pursuit of joy is paramount.
At times, you have to pause and remember that Jenny Lewis is now 25 years into her music career. It’s startling, because ‘Joy’All’ simply feels so fresh, so buoyant, so vivacious, that it recalls an artist just starting out. There’s an innocence, as well as a sense of focus, that is often dulled over time. Not here, though. Jenny Lewis is allowing her art to age like a fine wine, with ‘Joy’All’ featuring some of her finest work. For an album that was constructed during COVID and involved getting a puppy to combat midlife malaise, Lewis has now found focus in the flux. ‘Joy’All’ proves that she’s maturing into one of pop’s foremost storytellers.
