Jenny and Johnny's "I'm Having Fun Now": Music Review

Jenny and Johnny's "I'm Having Fun Now"

Music Review

By our guest blogger, Megan O’Malley

Jenny Lewis was a childhood actress and now is a grown up rock-and-roll goddess. She and her boyfriend Jonathon Rice, also a childhood actor, have teamed up to create a record. Under the too-cutesy name, Jenny and Johnny, the two debut their efforts with “I’m Having Fun Now.”

Beginning with the upbeat and lively “Scissor Runner,” listeners get an idea of where the album is going and how this differs from Lewis and Rice’s solo careers. The two of them harmonize extremely well together and the atmospheric sound that accompanies them as they sing works nicely to round out the music. They don’t sing over one another or compete for the spotlight. Lewis’ famous vocals tend to take over while Rice’s guitar-playing prowess works with her. The songs jump from sentimentally romantic to cynical, which keeps the listener on their toes trying to figure out what will come next.

The song “Big Wave” sounds as if it could be off a Rilo Kiley album, while other pieces like “New York Cartoon” sound more collaborative. Lewis doesn’t sound as sincere in her singing as she does on other albums. “Animal” is one of the strongest songs because it brings back that raw emotion in both Lewis and Rice that make them so successful. Lewis can go either way in terms of her music, solo or with others, but Rice sounds better when he is working with someone. While the two of them are both gifted singer songwriters, the album could have had more variation musically. The sound isn’t bad--it just begins to be repetitive by the end.

Jenny and Johnny have learned how to make music together. As a debut, they give their listeners something to ponder. Do people like them better as a solo acts or as a duet? Expectations will be high and hopefully they can live up to them. While “I’m Having Fun Now” has some great songs, it’s going to take a little while longer to convince me that they are stronger together instead of apart.