CD Review: The Education of Mandy Moore

The newly-married poster girl for anti-pop continues her classic-rock-chick reinvention.



AMANDA LEIGH
Mandy Moore
Storefront Records (Independent)
US Release: May 26, 2009
Chart Impact: #25 on the Billboard Hot 200 Albums; #4 on the Billboard Top Independent Albums.

While her peers are still singing about the circus and serving tiresome all-the-single-ladies pop anthems, Moore has left the pop-fun factory and decidedly ventured into adult-contemporary with her last effort Wild Hope. That album did not sell gazillions of downloads nor did it inspire young girls to develop nice abs and dance with an albino snake, but it did cement Moore’s cred as a serious singer-songwriter.

Now, Moore digs deeper and comes up with a subdued but more tasteful , if not her most mature, collection to date. She even dares to stamp it with her real name (hence, Amanda Leigh) as if to further prove that this is her true self. And as if she is going back to her roots...but no, not to the "Candy"-coated pop that jumpstarted her 10-year career.

First, let us rewind to her last two albums. In 2003’s Coverage, Moore turned her back at her producers and popdom and like a wild child re-recorded old songs she loved (the likes of Can We Still Be Friends by Todd Rundgren and Anticipation by Carly Simon). Some critics named it the best covers album in recent years. In 2007, she explored her darker side in Wild Hope, the first album she co-wrote. That album was a throwback of sorts to Alanis’ Jagged Little Pill with its tortured and vengeful sentiments (Nothing That You Are) and vulnerable self-scrutiny (Extraordinary and Gardenia), obviously a caustic by-product of her high-profile romantic break-ups.

In Amanda Leigh, Moore continues her creative statement and unapologetic experimentation and this time morphs into a friendlier Fiona Apple. Songs are still about love and introspection but gone are the grit and emotional turbulence of Wild Hope, replaced by sunshine and tender yearning. Here, Moore continues to straddle pop, rock and folk music with a sound that is fast becoming her own (something like neo-classic pop) and clearly suited for her sultry voice. Each of the 10 songs rolls beautifully and mostly tinged with sounds from the 70’s (remnants of her Coverage phase perhaps?) Think The Beach Boys and Joni Mitchell who are two of Moore’s self-confessed influences.

As with Wild Hope, the songs here are seldom instantly likable. But give it a few more spins and they will grow on you, a trademark of remarkable songs. Instrumentation is more precise that Wild Hope but sometimes too calculatedly vintage; or comes a little too close to musical theatre. Yet there is no denying that Moore and main collaborator Mike Viola (That Thing You Do) had a lot of fun doing this.

Lyrically, this is her best to date and her poetry is something to be envied; a far cry from the shallow and repetitive lyrics spun by the likes of Beyonce. She can be sarcastic and tongue-in-cheek (Those calendar girls, they've got nothing on me, she sings in the lead single) or serious and sombre (I can never be that kind of girl who absorbs that kind of suffering / And turns it into some kind of pearl). However, lyrics are not as relatable and accessible as that of Wild Hope, since that speaks in the universal language of heartbreak.

Lead single I Could Break Your Heart Any Day Of The Week may confuse with its pop sound and flashy (if not shocking) video. But while the melody is bouncy and catchy, it incorporates hand-claps and clavinets to give it the distinct folksy sound made famous by Sheryl Crow.



Pocket Philosopher is one of the instantly enjoyable tracks, with its showtune melody that is recently made Top 40 material by Lenka (The Show).

Also refreshing are Love To Love Me Back and Indian Summer. The former is a mid-tempo song about soul searching and reciprocity; and the later is a heart-tugging number that speaks of cherishing love lost in a time bygone.

Meanwhile Songs From Home shines with its rich textures that invokes the unmistakable feeling of longing and belonging. If this CD was a movie, then this is the part where you will have a lump in your throat and grab for a Kleenex.

Moore is at her brightest in the slower, stripped-down tracks which showcase her clean way of singing. Wild Hope’s main gem is Gardenia, which channels the melancholy sound of Sarah McLachlan. Here, she has two of those. One is Everblue (co-written by Lori McKenna), about would-be love and set in a languid pace that turns moody and tender.

The other song and (for me) the best track is the closing song Bug (a name she calls husband Ryan Adams, an info she passed via Twitter). It is simple, splendid and elegant...very Moore. With only gently-strummed guitars as her background, Mandy sings plaintively You know I love you / What am I supposed to do / You’re so far away.

The downside of Amanda Leigh is the same downside of her last effort: while the songs are consistent and makes for an enjoyable listening experience, they are still middling. Expect no huge radio airplay hits from this CD but these songs will surely find its way to TV and movie soundtracks.

Also, some of Moore’s fans (especially in Asia and Australia) might be put off by her songs about Merrimack River and blooming jacarandas. It takes a deeper understanding of Moore’s growth and musicology to truly appreciate these songs. Moore, of course, realizes this as she confessed in a recent Details magazine interview: "The music is all a reflection of me now, not somebody else's choices (an oblique jab at Epic Records, which released her first four albums). If people don't like the music, then they don't like me—and that's quite all right."

In this time of glossy downloadable songs and one-time YouTube superstars, it takes some nerve to create your own album and put it out there. More than anything, Amanda Leigh is a statement of self-confidence and a promise of bolder things to come (Ryan Adam’s influence will surely rub off her in her next work). In her last three albums, Moore seems to be taunting pop and asking herself this big question: Do I make a record that will sell millions but will soon be forgotten... or songs that only a few will appreciate but is bound to stay with them forever? (which is true, I still can’t get over Latest Mistake from Wild Hope but I bet only a few people knows that song, which further adds to its beauty and making it kinda "personal").

There is no right or wrong answer. But one thing is for sure: she has become one of the more intriguing and enduring artist of this generation, leaving us asking for moore (pun intended).

Copyright and Reviewed by: B. Crisostomo (Philippines) at www.barnieboi.blogspot.com

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Update:

Thanks to readers who have corrected some of the info above. Apparently Bug is Ryan's nickname for Mandy, not the other way around. Thanks for reading!

Rolling Stone Magazine (known for dissing pop) has also spoken. Here's their glowing 3.5-starred review:

"The title is taken from the singer's real first and middle names, the acoustic instrumentation emits a cozy campfire glow, and the album was recorded in a modest basement home studio. Message: This is real music, not computerized starlet pop. Listeners are advised to ignore the authenticity issues and focus on Moore's catchy tunes and warm voice on Amanda Leigh. Co-writing with producer Mike Viola, she swings from folk-rock confessions ("Merrimack River") to perky pop ("Nothing Everything"), delivering 11 shapely songs that would sound good even if they were recorded in a penthouse."