On the surface, much of Rilo Kiley’s The Execution Of All Things is disarmingly sweet, the darkness of breakups, shitty parents, and environmental doom rearing its head only if you pay close enough attention to the lyrics. “A Better Son/Daughter” starts off this way, too, with organ-like keys underscoring Jenny Lewis’ hesitant coo as she sings about the struggles of depression. But at the 1:40 mark, the music catches up to the anger found in the words. The tinny effect disappears from the vocals, Jason Boesel’s military drumroll becomes more deliberate, and bagpipes give even more strength to a couple of F-bombs spat out by Lewis, as if she’s leading a Scottish army in a charge against mental illness, her face streaked with blue warpaint. The battle doesn’t last long, however, as the arrangement slowly fades back to the lonely intro with Lewis once more stuck in bed. But for a few brief minutes, those bagpipes give her a triumphant respite from her demons. [Dan Caffrey]
