The Voyager - Jenny Lewis

It's a long way from a Jel-O advert to the world of guitar pop but, judging by this album, one worth taking.

But first I've got to apologise to those reading up north - I was going to recommend this as a great soundtrack to the summer kinda album. But I missed the boat. You see I actually downloaded this album just before leaving the UK - I thought I'd be a great summer album. And it is. I just forgotten that I was heading to a Southern Hemisphere winter. Blast. I tried the first song shortly after we arrived from a UK bathed in sunlight (for once) but it just don't work. Too dark. A bit chilly. Hardly the right environment to welcome a pop album into your consciousness.

So I put it on ice until now. Just about light enough to enjoy it on my commute to work. Boats in the bay, sunlight glinting on the calm, clear water and Jenny Lewis on my iPod. Bliss. Now it works.

Anyone unfamiliar with her solo back catalogue or stint with Rilo Kiley (shame on you) could pick worse places to start. Bright 'n breezy pop with an ever so slight dark undertone for the discerning listener. 'Head Underwater', the opening track, is a shining example of how to write an intelligent pop song; echoing piano motifs, thumping bass and crystals clear vocals. It's like the 80s were a warm up act for the real thing. 'Slippery Slope' turns up the volume but slows down the speed to great effect. Just a pop slice to the right side of shoe gazing. Besides, any album that contains the lyrics 'When I met you, you were just a boy and you were tongue tied and wearing corduroy' surely deserves a place in anyone's heart? Thought so.

Some might argue that a good album is a good album regardless of the weather. I couldn't disagree more. Try listening to reggae when it's blowing an icy gale through the cracks on the front door and you'll be itching to skip forward. Equally any prog rock track is just going to sound wrong in bright sunshine. Whoever they are. 

But I'm still sat here wondering if I was wrong to wait until spring to give this a spin. It could've lit up the dark mornings, made the rain seem slightly less wet or put a smile on my face on a Monday morning when all of my friends are thousands of miles away. Maybe. But now it's perfect. The right piece of pop on the right time.