Rilo Kiley quietly unraveled, leaving behind a fair amount of unfinished business, much of which is rounded up on 2013's
Rkives. Released six years after the slick splash of their major-label debut
Under the Blacklight,
Rkives rounds up existing rarities -- several B-sides and demos -- and six unheard songs, plus a remix featuring Too $hort. That is the most radical shift in sound on
Rkives, but there are hints of the glitzy bombast of
Blacklight scattered throughout the collection, particularly on the giddy Motown bounce of "I Remember You" and streamlined pop pulse of "Emotional," but most of this is firmly within
Rilo Kiley's wheelhouse of moody, indie-stylized country-rock. Some of this is distinguished by dramatic tension ("It'll Get You There"), some is nicely sculpted songwriting ("All the Drugs"), and even if the whole thing is a bit messy, it winds up being a nice reminder of all of
Rilo Kiley's attributes. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine