Jenny Lewis Joy'All
Released Jun 9, 2023 Blue Note Records
Consensus forming 3 professional reviews Updated Oct 5, 2026
Mostly positive consensus
Consensus is still forming across 3 professional reviews. Jenny Lewis's Joy'All arrives as a sunlit, sometimes thorny collection that balances country-soul grooves with confessional lyricism.
How ChoruScore worksCritics' Top Tracks
The songs critics returned to most
Puppy and a Truck
2 critic mentions
“a knowing play on country cliches on Jenny’s exploration of happiness in her forties, 'Puppy and a Truck” — DIY Magazine
Giddy Up
1 critic mention
“On the breathless ‘Giddy Up’, she implores the song’s subject to “Take a chance on a little romance, we’re both adults” — Hot Press
Cherry Baby
2 critic mentions
“The songs “Psychos”, “Apples and Oranges”, “Essence of Life”, “Cherry Baby” and “Chain of Tears” work the best.” — The Line of Best Fit
Full critic consensus
Jenny Lewis's Joy'All arrives as a sunlit, sometimes thorny collection that balances country-soul grooves with confessional lyricism. Across three professional reviews the record earned a 73.33/100 consensus score, with critics repeatedly pointing to Nashville-inflected production, live-session immediacy, and a tension between jubilant arrangements and lingering melancholy.
Critics consistently praised specific standouts: “Puppy and a Truck” and “Cherry Baby” surface as the most immediately catchy moments, while “Essence of Life” and “Apples and Oranges” were singled out for restoring calmer, more intimate tempos that foreground Lewis's voice and songwriting. Reviewers noted the album's eclectic production and career-legacy themes, describing passages that nod to 1970s singer-songwriter warmth and dusty bar storytelling. Professional reviews also emphasize romance and break-up motifs threaded with nostalgia and trauma, and many flagged the live recording energy as a plus.
Not all criticism is uniformly positive. Some reviewers found the arrangements overcrowded at times, arguing that group-heavy instrumentation and aggressive percussion can bury subtler melodies and lyrical detail. Yet the consensus suggests that when the record pares back - on the slower, acoustic-rooted tracks - Lewis's empathy and craft shine most clearly. For readers asking "is Joy'All good?" the critical consensus is broadly favorable: noteworthy highs, occasional excess, and several must-listen tracks that anchor the album in her catalog.
Below, the full reviews unpack why these highs and tensions define Joy'All and where it sits within Jenny Lewis's evolving body of work.
Track Ratings
How critics rated each track, relative to this album (0-100). Only tracks that made critics feel something are rated.
Psychos
Joy'All
Puppy and a Truck
Apples and Oranges
Essence of Life
Giddy Up
Cherry Baby
Love Feel
Balcony
Chain of Tears
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What Critics Are Saying
Deep insights from 3 critics who reviewed this album
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Critic's Take
Jenny Lewis makes a cracking record with Joy'All, and the best songs here are the irresistibly catchy “Puppy and a Truck” and the soulful “Cherry Baby”. Walshe praises the mid-paced groove of “Psychos” and highlights “Giddy Up” as breathless, while singling out the ’70s-styled ballad “Essence of Life” as a standout that nods to Carole King. The review reads as warm and admiring, pointing to Nashville production and earworm melodies as the album's key strengths.
Key Points
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‘Puppy and a Truck’ is the album’s most addictive, hook-driven highlight.
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The album’s core strength is its warm country-soul production and memorable melodies.
Themes
Critic's Take
Jenny Lewis channels a choppy, accomplished Nashville energy on Joy'All, the album arriving fast from live sessions and marked by warm, lived-in performances. The record's best tracks read like snapshots from dusty bars, especially “Chain of Tears” with its spoken-word lament and “Puppy and a Truck” for its knowing play on country cliches. The result is an intimate, sometimes erratic set that nonetheless foregrounds those standout moments as the record's emotional anchors.
Key Points
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The best song, “Chain of Tears”, is the emotional centerpiece with a spoken-word lament that anchors the album.
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The album's strengths are its live-band immediacy and tasteful Nashville-inflected songwriting married to contemporary, wry lyrics.
Themes
Critic's Take
Jenny Lewis in Joy'All attempts a sunnier, autonomous turn, but the record's oversized production often buries her. The review finds the best songs on Joy'All to be “Psychos”, “Apples and Oranges” and “Essence of Life”, mainly because their slower tempos restore balance between joy and melancholy. Thimgren's voice stresses that these tracks, rooted in acoustic guitar and melody, are the most reminiscent of Lewis's earlier sound. Despite occasional brightness, the group-heavy arrangements and aggressive percussion frequently wash out her vocals and clever melodies.
Key Points
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The best song is best because its slower tempo and acoustic foundation let Lewis's melodies and lyricism shine.
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The album's core strength is its attempt at eclectic, classic sounds, but overcrowded production often drowns the artist's voice.