Customer Reviews

@#%&*! Smilers (Special Edition)

5 star:		(41)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(9)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Couldn't disagree more with the couple of folks who say this is "more of the same" from Aimee Mann, and who have given the album 3 stars (and sounds like, from their reviews, they're just bitter over a few extra tracks used to promote the album on I-Tunes).

"More of the same" (Whatever, IWS, Bachelor #2, Lost In Space, The Forgotten Arm) would be enviable by any other singer/songwriter. Mann's been nominated for Grammy's, Golden Globe, Academy Award (Mr. Oscar), and has literally been on most year end top ten album lists with each of the releases already mentioned. I'll take more of the same from Mann any day of the week.

Smilers is indeed "more of the same" in terms of quality songwriting. There's not a throwaway track on Smilers (which consists of 13 tracks). The folks moaning about Itunes having 2 extra live tracks and 1 bonus studio track? If the rest of the album was so disappointing, then it's unusual that one would clamor for live versions of 2 songs they already have, and 1 "more of the same" studio track. Aimee's self-described bitter album was I'm With Stupid......maybe these fans are stuck in that period of her work <grin>.

Smilers opens with Freeway, a song that has a sound not unlike something the Cars (the band) would have written in the 70s. I can't recall another Aimee Mann solo album with anything that sounds remotely like the Cars - but there's a coupla tracks on Smilers, due to the use of moog synths as a replacement for the electric guitar (another first on an Aimee release, even counting til tuesday).

Smilers also marks the first time I can recall that Aimee has used a brass section, which she uses on a number of the songs here to great effect. If she's used brass in the past, none of the songs on Smilers brings any of her past songs to mind. Momentum (the b-side to That's Just What You Are and also on the Magnolia soundtrack) has a playfulness that I suppose one could compare, but still sounds nothing like these new songs.

There's also the use of strings on songs like Phoenix (a personal favorite) as well as It's Over (another favorite). Phoenix is another hallmark Mann composition that really captures the essence of what the character in the song is feeling. This is accomplished without an ounce of melodrama. Her vocals are equal parts regret, resignation, and relief. Listening to this track is like being in the back seat of the character's car and empathizing as if you're right there.

I could go over every song on the album but I won't. It's an excellent album.

I've been a fan of Mann's since I was 16 (1986) with the release of Welcome Home. For me, most of her albums alternate between surprising me with how much she's grown from, say, the previous release, OR, strike me as strong continuations/explorations of the types of songs she's known for - but they never feel like repeats. For me, Smilers is another jump forward and is easily a "five star" album.

I cautiously took Aimee Mann's cd Bachelor No. 2 from my local library because I want to acquaint myself with current music. Usually I listen to bits and pieces and return the cd's with a shudder. Bachelor No. 2 was so infectious that I bought it; then I bought Smilers and Aimee mann's Christmas album. Thinking that I was being a little crazy, I went on Amazon and listened to samples of all her recordings. There are no bad songs. I haven't purchased music in twenty years. And making matters worse I am ( or was ) a Frank Zappa and Tom Waits fan. Aimee Mann's music is GOOD in it's own way. It's creative, catchy, infectious, moody, original... and she has her own SOUND. I detect whiffs of Carole King ( Tapestry, I am that old ), Fountains of Wayne, and Emmit Rhodes ( which is why some of her songs sound like the Beatles ). But the conglomeration of influences is distilled through a unique vessel... Aimee Mann. I hum her songs while I'm living my life.

I admit: I've loved every last thing the wonderful and peerless Aimee Mann has done since 'Til Tuesday. There's little doubt in my mind that she's a melodic and lyric genius, even if we bandy about the term "genius" a little too loosely. It all seems to come so easy to her, and there's an intoxicating brilliance about her every move. Seeing her live is heavenly.

All that having been said, her new album is yet another treasure. You cannot but be wowed by the understated beauty of, let's say, "31 Today" or the stuck-in-your-head-and-you-don't-care quality of "Freeway." Buy without hesitation. The whole thing is delicious.

Smilers sounds like comfortable songwriting, comfortable arrangements. Where is the bite, the passion, the variety?

Aimee can produce great work. But where on Smilers is there anything so pretty and cleverly snotty as Amateur (from I'm With Stupid), or infectiously jangly as 50 Years After The Fair? Where is anything so biting and punk as Long Shot, or sweet and heartfelt as Mr. Harris?

Inevitably one must compare the present record with her past artistic successes. Stylistic differences aside, differences in instrumentation aside, I am not hearing the brilliance here that I am used to from her previous work up to Lost In Space. It sounds like an album that got cranked out because it was time to crank out another album.

I can't criticize those who enjoy this. I disagree that this is anywhere near her best work. The songs aren't bad. But to me they sound more like what would pass for bonus tracks or b-sides on previous albums and singles. Aimee sounds like she's reached a point in her career where she needs to be shaken up artistically, challenged to explore new heights and depths. Smilers just glides rock solid right down the middle of the freeway. What this music needs is some hairpin turns and steep grades and potholes and getting the wheels over close to the edge of the cliff so we can look down and have a thrill or two. That's what Aimee has led me to expect from her music, and I'm not getting it this time.

I must rectify the lack of mention of the best song on this consistently great album, "It's Over", which is a beautiful kick in the teeth, an exquisite encapsulation of the existential honesty that runs consistently throughout Ms. Mann's (Mrs. Penn's? Nah) incredible catalogue. We all need the reality check she provides us, the mirror with merciless lighting that shows us our flaws, and thereby paradoxically enlightens and uplifts us, after we've undergone the process of self-examination and begun the work of redemption. We adults all have to EARN the right to smile with authenticity, n'est pas? (Children get a pass, naturally.)

And then there's the irresistible HOOKS, detailed production, and the pure, refined, intelligent and clever lyric, all patronizing boiled away from the bone.

I think of Aimee Mann's best songs as being on a par with the introspective Sinatra at his peak, or Billie Holliday. Indestructible ART, Desert Island Music, Voyager LP nominations! Transformative!

Did I mention that this disc is GREAT already? BUY--it'll only hurt for a moment, and then the healing begins...

Why am I so surprised that this record is so good?

Maybe it's that so much of modern life seems so fake and so hyped.

"Smilers" is the "real deal", classy craft on-the-hoof without the smoke and mirrors.

Aimee makes it look easy too.

I like every single song on "Smilers" but my favorites (this week) are "Little Tornado", "Phoenix" and "Columbus Avenue".

Try it.

I have always maintained that Aimee Mann is one of the most under rated artists of our time. She is a consistently excellent songwriter and performer. Smilers is no exception. Aimee has a certain style that she has worked hard to maintain and refine, one that began to take shape on "I'm with Stupid", and really came to fruition on "Bachelor no. 2". "Smilers" continues with lyrically tight and melodically interesting songs that catch you from the word go. All artists should be this good at what they do.

You can always count on Aimee Mann to do something new and exciting on each new release, be it the alternating narrative on 2005's brilliant concept album THE FORGOTTEN ARM, or the "no electric guitar" policy on the new @#%&*! SMILERS. Lush and full, even without the aforementioned electric axes, @#%&*! SMILERS is, in many ways, classic Mann. However, that may not be enough....but more on that later! The album opens on an upbeat note with the effervescent "Freeway." Quirky percussion, reptiian keyboard runs that weave in and out and a lead vocal that both seduces and soars all combine to make a slice of pop perfection. Add some wonderful lyrics ("The road to Orange County/Leaves an awful lot of leeway/Where everyone's a doctor/Or a specialist in retail") and you have a real winner. Initially, I was less than thrilled with "Stranger Into Starman"...it just didn't feel...finished. However, after repeated plays, I've come to appreciate the song. With it's ominous, low-key piano arrangement and smoky lead vocal, there's an after-hours, torchy vibe to the track that's mesmerizing, growing on you with each listen. One of the disc's high points, "Looking For Nothing" is absolutely stunning. Singing in around three different registers throughout the song, Mann's lead vocal is a thing of natural beauty, while the instrumentation is killer (Special mention need be made of Jamie Edwards' glorious piano riffs). Equal parts melancholy and soothing, this ranks among Mann's all-time Top Ten best songs. Things continue strongly with the country-flavored "Phoenix." This could've been just another break-up song, but Mann elevates it to a whole other level. Opening with the clever lines "Got out of Phoenix/Just in time/A box of Kleenex/For the ride", things just keep getting better and better. Lovely acoustic guitars are juxtaposed with muted (but powerful) orchestration, creating a wonderfully relaxed aural cushion of sound. Toss in more thoughtful, universal lyrics that everyone can identify with ("It's hard to know/When to cut and run/You balance heartaches with your fun/But when the scales tip/You know you're done"), and you have the type of smart pop song that's becoming a rarity in music today. Up next is my favorite cut off the album, the rollicking "Borrowing Time." From it's hypnotic lead vocal to the swinging horns, this cut is unlike anything else on the album. Combine a dose of breath-taking imagery ("Get up - the needle has pricked her little finger/She wants the beautiful child/The blood will bring her") and you have an instant winner! LOVE this song!! There's a shimmering delicacy to "It's Over" that's captivating. Opening with just some gorgeous piano playing and understated orhestration, Mann's vocal dances over the somber, wistful lyrics. Building in tempo and instrumentation as it moves along, the song climaxes in a swirling whirlpool of perfectly mixed and matched sounds. Mann also has an innate talent for looking at every day experiences and putting her own spin on them, as she does with "31 Today." This tale of looking at where life has taken you, it's achievements and disappointments, on, of all days, your birthday, is actually quite enchanting, what with it's hushed verses and lilting chorus. In this case, the road not travelled can be just as enjoyable as the one taken. Things slow down a bit at this point. "The Great Beyond" has a real nice bass line anchoring it, but the rest of the song is a bit schizo, like two or three songs spliced into one. Thing is, we've heard all of them on past Mann albums. I never thought I'd be saying this about an Aimee Mann song, but this is filler. Ditto "Medicine Wheel." Everything here is....nice...from the down beat arrangement to the dour lead vocal, but this cut could very easily have been an outtake from THE FORGOTTEN ARM. I've come to expect every Aimee Mann song to "WOW!" me, and a lot of the songs in the middle of @#%&*! SMILERS fall short of that mark. The same can be said about "Columbus Avenue"....it's nice enough, with a pretty lead vocal and muted arrangement, moving along at a steady pace, but I expect more from an artist of Mann's caliber than "nice" or "steady." As I said earlier, I've come to expect that "WOW!" factor, and it's just not here. It does, however, return with "Little Tornado." Mix together a lead vocal that is equal parts sinister and forlorn, edgy, minimalist instrumentation and a hushed chorus of backing vocals that envoke a swirling cyclone, and you end up with a masterpiece (Dave Eggers' spaghetti Western-like whistling tops it off like some eerie cherry). Brilliant! "True Believer" has a melodic edge to it that just kind of works it's way under your skin, while there's a goofiness to "Ballantines" that's both sweet and silly (Another one of Mann's many talents is her ability to blend opposites, i.e. sunny instrumentation with dark lyrics, a perfect example being showcased here: "It must be hard/Ringing the bells/Of doors that don't swing wide anymore"). very nice, indeed. And kudos to Sean Hayes! Soo...what are my overall feelings about @#%&*! SMILERS? Well, like every Aimee Mann album, I love it.....BUT! As enjoyable as everything's been since 2000's BACHELOR #2, I'd like to see her shake things up a bit more on her next release, maybe revisiting some of the sounds and stylings from her Til Tuesday days, or the excellent one/two punch of '93's WHATEVER and '96's I'M WITH STUPID. Now THAT would make me really smile! (As with all my reviews, I'm giving the disc an extra half a star for including the lyrics, as well as an additional half a star for the gorgeous packaging).

Aimee Mann has put out nothing but top quality music for years. She is doing things on her own these days, and has landed on the home page of CNN.COM, NPR.ORG and many other publications with stellar reviews. @#$% the major label system! Way to go Aimee! This latest album is fantastic. Great melodies and superior songwriting, as always. There are a few songs that have that "summer" feel to them (Freeway, 31 Today, Borrowing Time are early favorites for me). Songs that stick in your head all day. This is one to share with your friends. Great stuff.

I've been a fan forever and I don't know how she keeps writing such great melodies. Phoenix is up there with the best she's ever written in my opinion. Great.