“It’s The Ones Who’ve Cracked That the Light Shines Through”-
At first, Jeffrey Lewis’ songs seem like jokes. His voice sounds nerdy, the lyrics ramble nonsensically and the guitar chords are the most primitive you’ve probably heard since grade-school music camp. But stick with it long enough and the payoff comes in smart and detailed narratives that nail the human condition.
Lewis made his debut in 2002 with “The Last Time I Did Acid I Went Insane and Other Favorites.” The latest CD, recorded with his brother Jack, on bass, boasts the equally fetching title above.
On both records, Lewis’ primitivist music and surreal lyrics recall ‘60s folk satirists the Fugs and David Peel. In fact, the songwriter sprang from the “anti-folk” movement which recalls those East Village performers. Lewis also has a career as an underground comic-book artist. Like his drawings, his music is witty, animated and true. – Jim Farber
New York Daily News, August 9 2002