Jenny Lewis and the Watson Twins

Transforming a homely, second-rate child actress into a scorching-hot indie rock femme fatale is an endeavor usually plotted more with wishful thinking than actual viable talent. But Jenny Lewis, whom you’ll remember from, well, nothing (her acting career included Beverly Hills Troop and other 1980s atrocities), has a sweet and silky voice that deftly plays many roles, including Postal Service backup singer and Rilo Kiley frontwoman. Now, with Rabbit Fur Coat, she’s added country-soul songstress. For this outstanding side project, Lewis’s off-kilter pop sensibility is inflected with country, 1960s soul, and folk motifs; working with the gospel-slinging Watson Twins on backup was an inspired choice for these thematic explorations of religion, romance, and revenge.