Jenny Lewis and the Watson Twins
The delicate, redheaded Jenny Lewis is best known as the lead vocalist for Rilo Kiley. Their 2004 album More Adventurous blended catchy, friendly pop with a warm, earthy alt-country sound and won praise from master songcrafter Elvis Costello, propelling them to the ranks of indie-rock stardom, with dozens of hipster-magazine cover shots and an opening slot on Coldplay's sold-out arena tour. Lewis' soft, ghostly voice also got the attention of experimental folkie Conor Oberst, who asked Lewis to record a solo project for his spanking-new Team Love label. The result was 2005's Rabbit Fur Coat, a showcase of Lewis' masterful, complex narrative songwriting. Lewis teams up here with the Watson twins, a pair of Kentucky sisters whose eerie, ethereal harmonies gently cling to the tracks like cobwebs. The effect is a haunted and subtle masterpiece of California soul in the tradition of Laura Nyro or Joni Mitchell; a sweet, hypnotic sound sugarcoating a razor-sharp lyrical talent with a deeply sophisticated, confessional bent that cuts like a knife. Johnathan Rice and the Blow open. Tickets $15. -- Alison Fensterstock
10 p.m. Sat., Oct. 21
The Parish at the House of Blues, 225 Decatur St., 310-4999; www.hob.com
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