Misplaced Pages

On the Line
Studio album by Jenny Lewis
Released	March 22, 2019
Studio	Capitol (Hollywood)
Genre	Indie rock
Length	47:15
Label	Warner Bros.
Producer	Beck Shawn Everett Jenny Lewis Ryan Adams
Jenny Lewis chronology
The Voyager (2014) On the Line (2019) Joy'All (2023)
Singles from On the Line
"Red Bull & Hennessy" Released: January 23, 2019 "Heads Gonna Roll" Released: February 14, 2019 "Wasted Youth" Released: March 15, 2019

On the Line is the third solo album and fourth overall by American singer-songwriter Jenny Lewis. The album was released on March 22, 2019, by Warner Bros. Records. Recorded at Capitol Records' Studio B, the album has contributions from Beck, Ringo Starr, Ryan Adams, Don Was, Benmont Tench, Jason Falkner, and Jim Keltner.

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
AnyDecentMusic?	8.0/10
Metacritic	85/100
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic
The A.V. Club	B+
Chicago Tribune
The Daily Telegraph
The Independent
NME
Pitchfork	8.0/10
Q
Rolling Stone
Uncut	7/10

On the Line was met with widespread critical acclaim. The Daily Telegraph called it "a smart, swaggering break-up album from a major talent", while The Independent said Lewis "adds a California sheen to melancholy and nostalgia". Robert Christgau was somewhat less impressed in Vice, giving it a three-star honorable mention. He said Lewis, "the rare 21st-century singer-songwriter whose level of craft renders her good enough for 76-year-old master drummer Jim Keltner", "loses the spring in her step that made her so 21st-century by proving it", naming as highlights the title track, "Rabbit Hole", and "Dogwood".

In a year-end essay for Slate, Ann Powers cited On the Line as one of her favorite albums from 2019 and proof that the format is not dead but rather undergoing a "metamorphosis". She added that concept albums had reemerged through the culturally-relevant autobiographical narratives of artists such as Lewis, who "confronted the ghost of her mother by invoking the musical touchstones they had shared in the fearless On the Line".

Ryan Adams' involvement

A month prior to the album's release, Ryan Adams, who helped produce the record, was accused by several women of sexual misconduct. After the album was released, Lewis told Pitchfork: "The allegations are so serious and shocking and really fucked up, and I was so sad on so many levels when I heard, I hate that he's on this album, but you can't rewrite how things went. We started the record together two years ago, and he worked on it — we were in the studio for five days. Then he pretty much bounced, and I had to finish the album by myself."

Track listing

Charts

References

1. "Jenny Lewis Announces On the Line Album Details, Releases 'Red Bull & Hennessy'". Spin. Retrieved January 25, 2019.
2. "Jenny Lewis Announces New Album Release Date, Shares Song: Listen". Pitchfork. 23 January 2019. Retrieved January 25, 2019.
3. Young, Alex (January 23, 2019). "Jenny Lewis premieres new single 'Red Bull & Hennessy'". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved January 29, 2019.
4. "On The Line by Jenny Lewis reviews". AnyDecentMusic?. Retrieved August 9, 2019.
5. ^ "On the Line by Jenny Lewis Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic. Retrieved March 26, 2019.
6. Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "On the Line – Jenny Lewis". AllMusic. Retrieved December 5, 2019.
7. Zaleski, Annie (March 20, 2019). "Singing like she never has before, Jenny Lewis puts it all On The Line". The A.V. Club. Retrieved March 26, 2019.
8. Kot, Greg (March 22, 2019). "Jenny Lewis' lush songs tell a chilling story on 'On the Line'". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved March 26, 2019.
9. ^ McCormick, Neil (March 21, 2019). "Jenny Lewis, On the Line, review: a smart, swaggering break-up album from a major talent". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved March 26, 2019.
10. ^ Bray, Elisa (March 21, 2019). "Jenny Lewis, On the Line review: Indie rock star adds a California sheen to melancholy and nostalgia". The Independent. Archived from the original on 2022-05-24. Retrieved March 26, 2019.
11. Hunt, El (March 21, 2019). "Jenny Lewis – 'On The Line' review". NME. Retrieved November 28, 2019.
12. Mapes, Jillian (March 25, 2019). "Jenny Lewis: On the Line". Pitchfork. Retrieved March 26, 2019.
13. Barton, Laura (May 2019). "Coming Out on Top". Q (397): 109.
14. Hermes, Will (March 22, 2019). "Review: Jenny Lewis Tells Some Brilliant LA Stories on 'On The Line'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved March 26, 2019.
15. McKay, Alastair (April 2019). "Jenny Lewis: On the Line". Uncut (263): 32.
16. Christgau, Robert (6 April 2019). "Robert Christgau on Stella Donnelly's Musical Encyclopedia of Assholes". Vice. Retrieved 6 April 2019.
17. Powers, Ann (December 17, 2019). "The album is evolving". Slate. Retrieved September 15, 2020.
18. Coscarelli, Joe; Ryzik, Melena (February 14, 2019). "Ryan Adams Dangled Success. Women Say They Paid a Price". The New York Times. Retrieved June 21, 2019.
19. "Jenny Lewis Escapes the Void". Pitchfork. 21 March 2019. Retrieved March 22, 2019.
20. "Irish Albums Chart: 29 March 2019". Irish Recorded Music Association. Retrieved March 30, 2019.
21. "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved March 30, 2019.
22. "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved March 30, 2019.
23. "Jenny Lewis Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved April 2, 2019.
24. "Jenny Lewis Chart History (Top Alternative Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved April 2, 2019.
25. "Jenny Lewis Chart History (Top Rock Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved April 2, 2019.
26. "Official Americana Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 19, 2024.

This 2010s rock album–related article is a stub. You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it.

• v
• t
• e

• 2019 albums
• Albums recorded at Capitol Studios
• Jenny Lewis albums
• Warner Records albums
• 2010s rock album stubs