Jenny Lewis, 'Acid Tongue'

Backstory: Rilo Kiley leader and hot pants enthusiast Jenny Lewis has been undergoing an extreme makeover in recent years. Her quirky indie-pop band turned into an embodiment of vacuous major-label misdirection in the span of one album (2007’s unfortunate “Under the Blacklight”), while her burgeoning solo career is trying to set her in the footsteps of Loretta Lynn and, egads, Barbra Streisand.

Why you should care: Despite her recent track record, Lewis remains a tremendous talent; she certainly hasn’t produced enough duds to be discounted or disregarded. Some who were turned off by Rilo Kiley may well embrace this countrified and considerably more familiar side of her songwriting.

Verdict: “Acid Tongue” mostly sounds like a well-polished put-on, like a capable actress trying to recreate the sort of songs her mama used to play for her. It’s difficult to shake the growing sense that Lewis overestimates her own vocal power; she’s clearly no Neko Case (or Streisand), and the revival tent theatrics of “Jack Killed Mom” should have been left to someone like Dolly Parton. Safe, sanitized and Starbucks-ready, there’s no risk and little emotional impact. One giant exception is the title track, a stripped-down and expertly rendered story-song that makes the misfires around it all the more frustrating.

X-Factor: While the guest list is mostly lackluster, Elvis Costello shows up for a vigorous duet on “Carpetbaggers.”

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