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Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed albums.
More Adventurous
Generally favorable reviews
Based on 23 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?
Based on 18 votes
Read user comments
Rate this album >
Album Info
Label: Warner Brothers
Release Date: 17 August 2004
Discs: 1 disc
Genre(s): Indie, Rock
Summary
The Los Angeles indie-rockers make their major label debut with 'More Adventurous.' In the two years since their previous outing together, the band's Jenny Lewis contributed vocals to the debut from the Postal Service, while Blake Sennett and Jason Boesel released an album from their own side project, The Elected.
Also By This Artist: The Execution of All Things Under the Blacklight
Also On Metacritic
MUSIC: Jenny Lewis With The Watson Twins: Rabbit Fur Coat The Elected: Me First The Elected: Sun, Sun, Sun The Postal Service: Give Up
Also On The Web: Official Artist Site
What The Critics Said
All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...
Under The Radar
Part commercial breakthrough, part acoustic folk record, part experiment, More Adventurous gives little indication of where Rilo Kiley's sound is headed. [#7]
Entertainment Weekly
[The] polished production... makes 2002's The Execution of All Things sound like an indie-rock field recording. [20/27 Aug 2004, p.124]
E! Online
Part new-wave keyboards, part folky acoustic guitars, the music on More Adventurous is unexpectedly beautiful.
Read Full Review >Tiny Mix Tapes
Yet another charming balance of winsome melody, subtle studio twinkle, frolicking rock, and tinges of country meshed against traditional song structures.
Read Full Review >Neumu.net
Basic but gorgeously textured pop-rock with a country tinge, Rilo Kiley's music is led by vocals that'll stop you in your tracks.
Read Full Review >Junkmedia
Within this realism is an incredible sense of serenity, which flows throughout the album and creates an incredibly fascinating work showcasing an immense sense of maturity for this young group.
Read Full Review >Alternative Press
All the broad-shouldered indie pop and big city folk we've come to expect, but so meticulously refined and consistently pleasing that its crossover ploys seem forgivable. [Sep 2004, p.124]
Uncut
They've managed to retain everything that was oddly beguiling about them in the first place while boosting their mass appeal with a production that is all West Coast sleek and radio-friendly lustrous. [Feb 2005, p.80]
Blender
Ambitiously wide-ranging. [Aug 2004, p.133]
Mojo
There's a wit, charisma and individuality at play that lends teeth to Rilo Kiley's tasteful alt country/indie-rock sound. [Mar 2005, p.104]
Austin Chronicle
Soon to be a jukebox staple at every down-at-the-heels dive and java joint in hipster America, More Adventurous has the potential, and the songs, to go a lot further.
Read Full Review >The Guardian
Not all the experiments work... However, Rilo Kiley are more inspiring than you'd think.
Read Full Review >The New York Times
Each song on "More Adventurous" sounds rich and well plotted. [16 Aug 2004]
Read Full Review >ShakingThrough.net
Rilo Kiley's most consistent and sharply executed release to date.
Read Full Review >All Music Guide
That Rilo Kiley jump around so much stylistically could slow down More Adventurous' heat-seeker status.
Read Full Review >Pitchfork
Lewis' crisp alto shines on every track... Unfortunately, the songs (and especially the lyrics) don't give Lewis the support she deserves.
Read Full Review >Rolling Stone
More Adventurous sometimes gets too precious, but at its best it achieves a kind of cinematic grace.
Read Full Review >Q Magazine
A glossy production makes for ear candy, but it's bereft of edge. [Feb 2005, p.102]
Drowned In Sound
With pluses so few and far between, it’s a struggle to make it through these 11 tracks without feeling nauseous from all the sickly pop filler.
Read Full Review >Delusions of Adequacy
A staggeringly uneven salad of powerpop alt-country and even R&B that succeeds as often as it fails.
Read Full Review >Stylus Magazine
The rest of More Adventurous is mostly what you would have expected from Rilo Kiley before the album's bracing beginning, only now it carries the stench of promise unfulfilled.
Read Full Review >What Our Users Said
The average user rating for this album is 9.0 (out of 10) based on 18 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.
Beau B gave it a9:
Jenny lewis can sell every track on this album with her amazing vocals. Some of the songs were even a bit folkish for my taste, but given the way Jenny and the band present them, I couldn't help but fall in love with the entire thing.
andrea gave it a10:
love it! portions for foxs and does he love you? are on constant repeat. jenny's voice is so fresh and beautiful.
Andy gave it a6:
Good but not great. A couple of so-so songs really hurt the total album for me.
G. T gave it a6:
"i never" is a beautiful track, and you can see interesting innovation throughout all of the tracks, but somehow the CD in its entirety seems just--stale.
blair s gave it a10:
definitely one of my most favourite albums of all time! incredible songs from beginnning to end... 'a man/me/then jim' is lyrically gorgeous, 'it just is' is just great 'i never' is vocally flawless 'does he love you?' is stunning 'the absence of god' is amazing Just a GREAT album! I love it!
Andrew W gave it a10:
This Album has been wonderful me. "Does He Love You?" always hits me so hard. Such emotion is provocative throughout the whole ablum. Overall it is so intelligent and put together. Just tasty.
Marisa C gave it a6:
I'd give this album between a 6 and a 7. While a set of very tuneful songs, the slick production has zapped some of the charms of the group's sounds. Lyrics are nowhere near as irreverent nor interesting as The Execution of All Things, but hope that the next album will return to being more home-spun.
