Charmer
Charmer Reviews
(I would give this four and a half stars if I could) Aimee Mann has been making music since the 1980's, but from her new record CHARMER, you wouldn't be able to tell. The album is youthful and energetic, and it shows no signs of Mann slowing down any time soon. While Mann has never been known for her upbeat, happy lyrics, there's something about this record that is poppy and springy. Released 4 years after @#%&*! SMILERS, this record finds bassist Paul Bryan returning for production duties. Fans of Mann should be pleased: there's more high-quality songwriting featured on display here. "Charmer" is the first track here, and it's the lead single as well. I usually don't pay attention to music videos, but the video for "Charmer" is quite fun (and it stars Aimee-lookalike Laura Linney). The song is carried by a great chord progression and lead guitar that wouldn't sound out of place on a Cars record. The melody used is memorable and hard to shake out of your head: this single starts the album out on a terrific high-note. The harmonies of "Labrador" make an average song a great one; the same can be said for "Soon Enough" which was cowritten by Tim Heidecker(?!). The Shins' James Mercer steps in for vocal duty on "Living a Lie," a duet that focuses on the vocal chemistry of the two. It took a while for "Crazytown" to grow on me, but after a few listens it's become one of my favorites on the record (it's like a slower "Charmer" tonally). Towards the end of the record, "Barfly" finds Aimee Mann bringing on a more bluesy tone - the song has a great chorus made all the better by the tasteful instrumentation Mann provides. "Barfly" would have made an excellent finale to CHARMER; "Red Flag Diver" was one of the lesser tracks on the album. The energetic and poppy tone of the album does well to sugarcoat some of the more depressing material - the second track, "Disappeared" for example, distances its message of rejection with alt-rock guitar. It's a double-edged sword: on one hand, this technique keeps the album from being to melancholy (CHARMER is a fun record), but it also distances its emotions from the listener in such a way that may be unsatisfying. Given the previous example, Mann's lyrics are frequently sincere and well-written, but listeners will really need to involve themselves to be affected by them. The duet, "Living a Lie" is a great showcase of the vocals of James Mercer and Aimee Mann, but the emotions that clearly belie the lyrics never really become the focal point of the song. CHARMER is a really good record, and it's a great addition to Aimee Mann's long-running string of excellent solo albums. I would recommend this album to fans of 90's indie/alternative rock - I think fans of Mann will enjoy this slightly poppier detour. Not all of the songs are memorable, but they are all a joy to hear. Essential tracks for sample/download: "Charmer," "Barfly," and "Crazytown.". this is my Charmer reviews
Charmer Specs
- Audio CD (September 18, 2012)
- Original Release Date: 2012
- Number of Discs: 1
- Label: SuperEgo Records
- ASIN: B008NEVP1S
- Also Available in: Audio CD | Vinyl | MP3 Music
- Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (60 customer reviews)
- Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,398 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
- #19 in Music > Rock > Singer-Songwriters
- #78 in Music > Pop > Singer-Songwriters
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