A New Voyage for Jenny Lewis

Indie-rock/alt-country singer/songwriter, Jenny Lewis recently appeared on Austin City Limits, where she performed tracks from The Voyager, such as its first single, “Just One of the Guys.” She sported shall we say, a colorful suit, as if it galloped out of a “My Little Pony” cartoon, yet Lewis—and her lyrics—are anything but juvenile or imaginary. The melody line in the verses takes on a smooth Sheryl Crow aura (think “If It Makes You Happy”), and as those verses transition to the choruses, the melody changes to an even sunnier sound.

Yet behind that bright rainbow lies darker lyrics of the struggle to stay true to self, as well as the emotional—and physical—ramifications of wanting to treat relationships like “one of the guys” and the results that come from not doing so, because “that’s not what ladies do.” As listener, the head might be bopping along with a smile on the face, but by the end of the bridge, the smile retracts, as the song conveys the sense of lack that can oddly come from doing what one feels and knows is right… for you (“There’s only one difference between you and me/When I look at myself/all I can see/I’m just another lady without…”). “Just One of the Guys” captures the 39-year-old commenting on gender roles, as she reflects back over a voyage that has found her “…locked in this bathroom/full of tears.” Yet Lewis knows that one’s inner voice, or as she puts it, her “cop,” can always serve as a trustworthy guide.