Get It Right

The Kennedys continue their cottage industry of adult pop music with a studio disc that takes on board a little bit of their earlier electronic experiment on the programming and loop of the gospel-ish "Didn't It Rain," but focusing on what they do best — working with guitars and voices. Kicking off with Maura Kennedy's autobiographical "Ride, Angel, Ride," it's a lovely, jangly ride through some top-notch writing and playing (pretty much all done by the two of them), with Pete Kennedy showing himself to be growing by leaps and bounds as a multi-instrumentalist, with "Half of Us" a true standout, with its "What's So Funny 'Bout Peace, Love and Understanding" guitar riff, while "Why, Winona, Why?" (a track about a certain alleged shoplifting movie star) offers pure jangle. "Get It Right" has the feel of Marvin Gaye's "What's Going On?" translated from soul to pop, with a sensuous, slinky groove, and "Pearl's Eye View" is all about a female Vietnam war photographer. However, just when the album seems all of a piece — and a very good piece it is, too — they take a left turn into lounge/Brazilian music with "Galaxy Express," which largely ruins the mood, although they try to recapture it on the long closer, "The Things We Touch." It may not be the perfect Kennedys album, but it's still another excellent addition to their canon.