Highlights: Charmer, Labrador, Soon Enough, Red Flag Diver
Always good to have her
back: this lady just isn’t capable of doing wrong, and ten seconds into the
title track you feel you are exactly where you should be. It’s classy, it’s
tasteful, it’s well-written. And Aimee Mann’s voice is just as charming and
resonant as ever; nonchalant yet addictive.
And the songs, of
course, are profoundly Good.
Certainly not her sharpest set ever (that would have to be either Bachelor No.2 or my personal favourite, Lost In Space), but the genuine,
melancholic power of these tunes has been growing on me ever since I first
played the album. The aforementioned title-track is arguably the best song here,
with an instantly memorable vocal melody and clever use of keyboards. The
lovely, piano-based “Labrador” is another highlight, while the collaboration
with James Mercer “Living A Lie” is without a doubt the best thing The Shins’ frontman
has done in years.
I may have a few
problems with side two (with a couple of rather middle-of-the-road songs hiding
uninspired tunes behind immaculate taste), but still the album ends on a brilliant
note: the lilting country-pop charmer called “Red Flag Driver” is as good a
song as she has ever done.
Besides being an amazing
little album in its own right, for me Charmer
was also a much needed therapy after the murky excuse that is John Cale’s new
album. Charmer (perfect title) is like a warm,
pleasant winter evening in your favourite armchair: good vibes and a feeling of
absolute contentment.
8/10
No comments:
Post a Comment