More Adventurous is the third studio album by American indie rock band Rilo Kiley. Released on August 17, 2004 by Brute/Beaute Records, a self-made imprint distributed by Warner Records,[13] it was the band's major label debut.
| More Adventurous | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | August 17, 2004 | |||
| Recorded | Late 2003 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 44:06 | |||
| Label | Brute/Beaute | |||
| Producer | Mike Mogis, Mark Trombino, Jimmy Tamborello | |||
| Rilo Kiley chronology | ||||
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| Singles from More Adventurous | ||||
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| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 75/100[3] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |    [4] |
| Blender | [5] |
| Entertainment Weekly | B+[1] |
| The Guardian | [6] |
| The Independent | [7] |
| Mojo | [8] |
| Pitchfork | 6.7/10[9] |
| Q | [10] |
| Rolling Stone | [11] |
| Uncut | [12] |
As of June 2007, sales of the album in the United States had exceeded 173,000 copies, according to Nielsen SoundScan.[14]
Song information
edit"Portions for Foxes" references the bible verse Psalms 63:10.
"Ripchord" and "It Just Is" were written in response to the death of Elliott Smith.
"Accidntel Deth" was produced by Jimmy Tamborello, who is known for his work in The Postal Service and as Dntel (which explains the unusual spelling of the song's title).
"More Adventurous" alludes to a line from Frank O'Hara's "Meditations in an Emergency": "Each time my heart is broken it makes me feel more adventurous (and how the same names keep recurring on that interminable list!), but one of these days there’ll be nothing left with which to venture forth."[15]
Release
editTwo versions of the album were released: a version in a jewel case, which was sold in stores, and a limited edition (1,000 copies) digipak version sold at the release party and concert for the album.
"I Never" and "Ripchord" were included in several feature films, including Must Love Dogs, Conversations with Other Women, and John Tucker Must Die. "Portions for Foxes" is included as part of the Rock Band 3 soundtrack and was also featured in the first episode of the first season of the medical drama Grey's Anatomy. "More Adventurous" was featured on the soundtrack to the 2005 film Wedding Crashers.
Reception
editThe album received critical praise. Noted rock critic Robert Christgau named it the fifth best release of 2004 and later included it in his list of the greatest albums of the 2000-2009 decade, placing it in the twenty-fourth spot.[16][17] Christgau also declared "It's a Hit" song of the year for 2004 and subsequently listed it as the eighth best song of the decade.[18] The album placed fourteenth on the Pazz & Jop poll for 2004.[19]
In 2017, NPR Music's Ilana Kaplan dubbed the album "a masterpiece in songwriting vulnerability." Kaplan dubbed Jenny Lewis "an emo pioneer", citing her "bold confrontation of anger and her ability to mourn in such a raw way" as reasons. She also noted that Lewis' handling of topics like marriage, divorce, and more "set apart her perspective in the midst of male voices" prominent within the genre.[2]
In 2023, alternative music website Melophobe ranked the album as the 28th best indie rock album of all time.[20] Melophobe subsequently ranked "It's a Hit" and "Portions For Foxes" as the 15th and 51st greatest indie rock songs since 2000 respectively.[21]
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "It's a Hit" | Jenny Lewis | Mike Mogis | 4:28 |
| 2. | "Does He Love You?" | Lewis, Blake Sennett | Mike Mogis | 5:14 |
| 3. | "Portions for Foxes" | Lewis, Sennett | Mark Trombino | 4:45 |
| 4. | "Ripchord" | Sennett | Mike Mogis | 2:09 |
| 5. | "I Never" | Lewis | Mike Mogis | 4:33 |
| 6. | "The Absence of God" | Lewis, Sennett | Mike Mogis, Mark Trombino | 3:55 |
| 7. | "Accidntel Deth" | Lewis | Jimmy Tamborello | 4:26 |
| 8. | "More Adventurous" | Lewis, Sennett | Mike Mogis | 3:27 |
| 9. | "Love and War (11/11/46)" | Lewis | Mike Mogis | 3:36 |
| 10. | "A Man/Me/Then Jim" | Lewis, Sennett | Mike Mogis | 5:24 |
| 11. | "It Just Is" | Lewis | Mike Mogis, Mark Trombino | 2:26 |
| Total length: | 44:06 | |||
Personnel
edit- Jenny Lewis – vocals, guitar, Mellotron, keyboards, Wurlitzer, piano, harmonica, organ
- Blake Sennett – vocals (lead on "Ripchord"), electric & acoustic guitars, 12-string acoustic guitar, handclaps, Optigan, JX-3P Arp, & Moog
- Pierre de Reeder – bass guitar
- Jason Boesel – drums, percussion
Additional musicians
editMike Bloom, Danny Cooksey, Amy Huffman, Clint Wheeler, Jamie Williams, Jon Hischke, Kianna Alarid, Mike Mogis, Nate Lefeber, Nate Walcott, Neely Jenkins, Nick White, No Better Cause, Rick Ricker, Summit Strings
Chart performance
edit| Chart (2004) | Peak Position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard 200 | 161 |
| U.S. Top Heatseekers Albums | 7 |
References
edit- ^ a b Dombal, Ryan (August 20, 2004). "Rilo Kiley: More Adventurous". Entertainment Weekly. p. 124.
- ^ a b c Kaplan, Ilana (October 4, 2017). "Shocking Omissions: Rilo Kiley And The Alt-Pop Force Of 'More Adventurous'". NPR Music. Retrieved February 18, 2023.
- ^ "Reviews for More Adventurous by Rilo Kiley". Metacritic. Retrieved July 21, 2015.
- ^ a b Loftus, Johnny. "More Adventurous – Rilo Kiley". AllMusic. Retrieved July 21, 2015.
- ^ Eells, Josh (August 2004). "Rilo Kiley: More Adventurous". Blender (28): 133. Archived from the original on January 18, 2005. Retrieved November 26, 2015.
- ^ Clarke, Betty (January 28, 2005). "Rilo Kiley, More Adventurous". The Guardian. Retrieved July 21, 2015.
- ^ Gill, Andy (January 28, 2005). "Rilo Kiley: More Adventurous (WEA / Brute/Beaute)". The Independent.
- ^ "Rilo Kiley: More Adventurous". Mojo (136): 104. March 2005.
- ^ Dahlen, Chris (August 15, 2004). "Rilo Kiley: More Adventurous". Pitchfork. Retrieved June 3, 2008.
- ^ "Rilo Kiley: More Adventurous". Q (223): 102. February 2005.
- ^ Hoard, Christian (October 14, 2004). "Rilo Kiley: More Adventurous". Rolling Stone. No. 959. p. 94. Archived from the original on December 24, 2007. Retrieved August 27, 2007.
- ^ "Rilo Kiley: More Adventurous". Uncut (93): 80. February 2005.
- ^ "Rilo Kiley's Lewis Finishes Solo Debut". Billboard.com. 20 September 2005. Retrieved 29 December 2021.
- ^ Hasty, Katie (4 June 2007). "Rilo Kiley Sets Date For Fourth Album". Billboard. Retrieved 13 August 2018.
- ^ "Meditations in an Emergency by Frank O'Haran". Poetryfoundation.org. 28 December 2021. Retrieved 29 December 2021.
- ^ "Robert Christgau: Pazz & Jop 2004: Dean's List". Robertchristgau.com. Retrieved 29 December 2021.
- ^ "Robert Christgau: Rolling Stone Ballot: The 00's Best Songs & Albums". Archived from the original on 2010-01-02. Retrieved 2012-08-29.
- ^ "Robert Christgau: Hitting Back: Rilo Kiley". Robertchristgau.com. Retrieved 29 December 2021.
- ^ "Robert Christgau: Pazz & Jop 2004: Critics Poll". Robertchristgau.com. Retrieved 29 December 2021.
- ^ "Top 100 Greatest Indie Rock Albums of All Time". www.melophobemusic.com. Retrieved 2023-07-06.
- ^ "Top 100 Greatest Indie Rock Songs Post 2000". www.melophobemusic.com. Retrieved 2023-07-06.