Aimee Mann
Album: Charmer
Label: Proper
Tracks: 11
Website: http://www.aimeemann.com/

My musical relationship with Aimee Mann goes back to the days of 'Til Tuesday, when paper magazines still ruled the roost. I think that's important to say because I'm sure there are people reading this that wouldn't be aware of just how long her career as a singer songwriter stretches back.

For a lot of the time she's burnt with a low key intensity, constantly acknowledged for both the poetic nature of her lyrics as well as the sense of truthful openness that permeates them. Delivered in a West Coast pop/rock style that has been applauded by both fan and critic alike, her songs are not only well written, they are also easy to listen to. These are songs with depth, songs you can just play to pass the time and songs that you can play with the intention of losing yourself in them.

Occasionally, and definitely not occasionally enough, she has short periods when she bursts into the wider public consciousness, moves out of her usual sphere of influence to get heard across the mainstream via radio and tv, rather than the bedsit and the tour. She's one of those artists that you know more of her songs than you think.

Hopefully, "Charmer" will coincide with a time that allows her to burn that bit brighter, but unfortunately those that live on hope tend to starve. "Charmer" came across my speakers like a breath of fresh air. The sound is bright and breezy, though never anything other than sharp. It's got a real energising feel to it, it's got a real positive charge to it.

That positivity is contradicted by the underlying theme of the album, which tends to run on trust issues and generally the lack of it. It's not just the lack of trust that we have in others, a lot of the album also reflects the lack of trust we have in ourselves, that we often live a lie because it's easier than confronting that which is wrong.

It's very easy to make an album like this heavy going, if this was a book or a film based on the words alone it would be dark and bleak, award winning probably, but the sort of film that people acknowledge as a classic of the cinematic art, but don't actually watch, Aimee Mann doesn't make that mistake, intense and listenable is a rare combination indeed. That's what makes "Charmer" such an exceptionable album and one that exploits all the inner workings of the title track.

Neil King