"As Bob Dylan proved early in his career, there’s a very fine line between outsider folk and a comedy record. The shaggy dog, talking blues about post-apocalyptic monkeys and farmers’ daughters from Another Side Of may have sunk to the bottom of Dylan's catalog, but their rambunctious goofiness shines on in Jeffrey Lewis, one of a new generation of New York anti-folksters. On his second full-length for Rough Trade, the 27-year-old cartoonist brings his cracking voice to bear on the pressing issues of the age: rampaging ghouls, towers of turtles and the fact that no, he doesn't want to do any acid, thank you. The wackiness of Cracked is charming, but the real highlights of the record are songs where Lewis turns his wide-eyed language on more personal matters. “I hope that the art school enjoys your big painting of ruin,” he sighs on “Alphabet.” “We’ve all got good things to do, and it’s good when we do them.” Packed with these strangely perfect bons mots and buoyed by a heroically unhip sense of wonder, Lewis’ lyrics are as tight as his guitar playing is weak. But so what if his musicianship has all the finesse of a dorm-floor sing-along? Lewis specializes in a rambling, autobiographical style that reassures and entertains more than it startles or amazes. It's good, but not great, and Lewis will likely never quite get around to penning his Blowin' in the Wind or My Back Pages. But the stories on Cracked are bright, funny and warm-hearted. Sometimes, that's more than enough. " - MAGNET