Jenny Lewis with the Watson Twins

We are rightly conditioned to flee in terror whenever alt-rock and indie stars “go country” — their attempts at down-home rootsiness often end up condescending and ridiculous. (Case study: Black Rebel Motorcycle Club.) But Rilo Kiley’s yearning pop-rock was already trending Southward when More Adventurous broke big in 2004, setting the table for frontlady and ingenue Jenny Lewis’ truly amazing solo debut. Rabbit Fur Coat is a breathy, earthy confessional gem, weeping softly on a backstage stairwell at the Grand Ol’ Opry. Its more rockin’ full-band moments (“You Are What You Love” especially) evoke Jenny’s main gig, but it’s the hushed vocal-and-guitar strum of intimate burners like “Happy” and the title track that really make this record sing like Patsy Cline mopily looking up old boyfriends on MySpace. Even a goofy, star-studded cover of the Traveling Wilburys’ “Handle with Care” can’t break that spell, and when Lewis’ voice intertwines with gorgeous Watson Twins harmonies on “Born Secular,” you’ll see … well, not God, then, but certainly possible proof of intelligent design.