Editor’s Note: The Albumism staff has selected what we believe to be the 110 Best Albums of the 2010s, representing a varied cross-section of artists, genres, and styles. Click “Next Album” below to explore each album in the list or for easier navigation, view the full introduction & album index here.
JENNY LEWIS | The Voyager
Warner Bros. (2014)
Selected by Justin Chadwick
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I’ve always been a sucker for that warm, AOR sound endemic to California and made famous by the likes of Fleetwood Mac, The Doobie Brothers, and Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers. Being force-fed Rumours while still in the womb and growing up in the Golden State may have something to do with it. So no great surprise then that Jenny Lewis’ third album, awash in that same breezy California sound coupled with an unabashedly pop sheen, resonates so much with me. I’ve been a fan of Lewis’ music since she fronted the now-defunct indie pop band Rilo Kiley, and The Voyager sure does sound like her career peak to date. Ultimately, it’s the intriguing juxtaposition of Lewis’ lyrics that largely center around tales of heartbreak, despair and regret with the more upbeat and buoyant soundscapes that makes The Voyager such a fun and thoroughly engaging effort.
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