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Jenny Lewis: Questioning God on 'Rabbit Fur Coat'

It's perhaps more than a coincidence that several of the songs on Jenny Lewis' debut solo album have references to God. But Lewis, who has recorded previously as the lead singer for the indie rock band Rilo Kiley, insists she didn't plan it that way.

The God references on the CD Rabbit Fur Coat come in songs including "Born Secular," "Rise Up with Fists!!" and "The Charging Sky."

"I didn't intend to write a bunch of songs about God," she says. "I was surprised when I had all of the songs completed and there were so many God references throughout. I guess that's what happens when you're about to turn 30... I think being broken-hearted is not the only thing you want to sing about."

Lewis is joined on the CD -- recorded on tape and other vintage equipment in a dusty Los Angeles studio -- by the gospel singers known as the Watson Twins, Death Cab for Cutie's Ben Gibbard and members of Maroon 5.

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As special correspondent and guest host of NPR's news programs, Melissa Block brings her signature combination of warmth and incisive reporting. Her work over the decades has earned her journalism's highest honors, and has made her one of NPR's most familiar and beloved voices.