Charmer

Aimee Mann | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• 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: #4,025 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #53 in Music > Rock > Singer-Songwriters

Track Listings

1. Charmer

2. Disappeared

3. Labrador

4. Crazytown

5. Soon Enough

6. Living A Lie

7. Slip and Roll

8. Gumby

9. Gamma Ray

10. Barfly

11. Red Flag Diver

Editorial Reviews

The long awaited new album from Aimee Mann, Charmer, will be released September 18 on Superego Records. Influenced by what Mann calls the "super pop" of the 70s and 80s, the album is her first release since 2008's celebrated @#%&*! Smilers, which the BBC called "undeniably beautiful." Of Charmer, her eighth studio album, Mann comments, "I'm fascinated by charming people and the whole idea of charm. It's hard to remember sometimes that there is usually an agenda behind the act of being charming, and that is what I'm most interested in. Is someone s charm being utilized just to try and entertain people, make them feel special and interesting, or is there a more sinister purpose behind it? Sometimes I think 'charm' can just be another word for 'manipulation.'" The album also includes a duet with James Mercer of The Shins on "Living a Lie." Mann will support the new album with tour dates this fall. See reverse for tracklist.

Charmer was produced by longtime friend and band member Paul Bryan and recorded with Ryan Freeland (Ray LaMontagne, Bonnie Raitt) at Stampede Origin in Los Angeles. Bryan joins Mann on the album, among many other friends and collaborators including J.J. Johnson, Jebin Bruni and Jamie Edwards. Mann wrote all of songs on the album, though two, "Living a Lie" and "Soon Enough," are collaborations with Paul Bryan and Tim Heidecker, respectively.

Mann began her solo career in 1993 with the album Whatever and made a name for herself through her independent success and the founding of her record label, SuperEgo. In addition to her solo work, she has appeared on many film soundtracks and composed the soundtrack for Paul Thomas Anderson's much-lauded Magnolia. Since @#%&*! Smilers, Mann has performed for the President Obama and the First Lady at the White House, appeared as herself on the hit indie TV series Portlandia and fast become an internet darling. Named one of The Huffington Post's "13 Funny Musicians You Should Be Following On Twitter," Mann has gained a diehard social media following for her quick wit and stinging observation, much of which is reflected on the new album.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Another Excellent Solo Album / More Excellent Songwriting September 18, 2012

By T. A. Daniel TOP 500 REVIEWER

Format:Audio CD

(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."

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Aimee gets better and better!! September 18, 2012

By John Poole

Format:Audio CD

Amazing how Aimee has been so consistent over the years with such great songs. Both lyrically and musically. She's fantastic. And if you check out the new music videos she's made for Charmer, you'll see her having more fun than ever. (In spite of the dreadful music business...) Charmer - video with Laura Linney is a classic, and Labrador - a spoof on the video for Voices Carry is hilarious. Early favorites for me are Crazytown, Living a Lie, Soon Enough and Gumby. All are very radio friendly and so much better than what's out there today. Go and see her when she plays in your town! Highly recommend Charmer. Buy it!

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Appropriate Title September 20, 2012

By tuatara

Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase

Aimee Mann once again delivers an album of intelligent lyrics and catchy melodies. A few critics have quibbled that Mann offers nothing new with this release. To an extent, this is true. Many of these tracks would fit comfortably on her last two studio albums, 'Smilers' and 'The Forgotten Arm' and I mean that as a compliment. Both of those releases were excellent. I began to listen to her seriously with the 'Magnolia' soundtrack and 'Bachelor #2' with 'Bachelor' probably being my favorite of her numerous albums. One of the many qualities with Mann's albums is the consistency of her first-rate songwriting. Many of her songs can lyrically convey a convincing short story in under 4 minutes! How many current singer/songwriters can do that and I stress the word "current'. In my humble opinion, many of her songs over the years can be favorably compared to the best of Joni Mitchell's and thats quite an achievement! As for 'Charmer', some favorite cuts are "Labrador", "Crazytown", "Barfly" "Living A Lie" dueting with The Shin's James Mercer, and "Gamma Ray" an actual real rocker! I really hope this release can gain her a larger audience. She is definitely(and unfortunately) one of the more underappreciated recording artist!