Sep 06 2023
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3
This is like The Gilmore Girls in album form - not necessarily a bad thing!
Had never heard of Aimee Mann before, and it definitely sounds of its time, but I enjoyed listening to it. The songwriting is really good.
On another note, how much lazy misogyny is there in some of the reviews on this site?! "Mom rock", "stuff an ex girlfriend would make", etc... Come on, music dudes.
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Jan 11 2024
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5
Disappointed to see all the lazy and sexist Lilith Fair comments here. Aimee Mann is one of the great but underrated pop songwriters of the late 20th/early 21st centuries and this is a wonderful solo debut.
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Oct 29 2021
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2
- HELLO, IS THIS NASA? - YES.
- GOOD. LISTEN. I'M SICK OF YOUR BORING SPACE LAUNCHES. I'M JUST AN ORDINARY, BLUE-COLLAR SLOB, BUT I KNOW WHAT I LIKES ON TV.
- HOW DID YOU GET THIS NUMBER? - SHUT UP!
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Oct 20 2022
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3
Reasonable nice.
It just kind of feels like the music an ex girlfriend would make. You want to be supportive and it’s cool she’s doing stuff but it all sounds a little bit average…
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Oct 23 2022
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3
3.1 - SCENE: Garage sale. Shopper approaches seller.
Garage sale shopper: Hey, I grabbed a couple CDs from the box over there. Lemonheads and uhhh… (looks down at CD’s) Aimee Mann. How much?
Seller: I was asking 75 cents a piece?
Shopper: Would you take a buck for both?
Seller: Sure, that works.
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Aug 19 2021
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1
"Whatever" she says, like she doesn't have a care in the world. Like she's not bothered about my opinion. Well, Aimee, you should be bothered.
Here it is:
I absolutely adore this fabulous gift you have given the world, you beautiful, beautiful woman. Thank you.
Only joking, it's shite.
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Sep 30 2021
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2
Extremely mediocre 90's pop rock. The opening track grabbed me a little, but I quickly became bored with this album. Skippable, in a word.
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Oct 20 2021
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4
Aimee Mann is super talented. She writes and produces well crafted pop songs, almost Beatle-esque in quality. My only complaint about her is her songs sometimes lack emotion - she's almost too cool. Minor complaint though. Really well done debut solo album. 4 stars.
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Mar 06 2022
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3
Amazing production. One of the best recorded albums on the list so far. I really enjoyed the vocals and multi-tracked harmonies.
However, the songs are forgettable, ultimately taking away from such a great sound overall.
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Sep 07 2022
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3
I like her voice and the music is pleasent, although the country vibe is not for every mood. Good vibes but doesn't feature a memorable song.
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May 08 2024
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2
Whatever
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Aug 19 2021
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1
fucking dog shit.
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May 25 2022
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3
I have always been a sucker for what I call "Lilith Fair music" -- you know the type: 90s singer songwriters that aren't too pop but aren't too rock, either. This album fits right into that. Also typical of artists in this category, the lyrics are often sharp and thought-provoking, overlaid on generally upbeat music.
Even though I liked it based on the baseline qualifications mentioned above, I do feel like other females singer songwriters in the 90s did the same thing, only better. For me, it started to drag the longer it went on. Maybe somewhat forgettable to me, but it was very easy to listen to, though!
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Aug 19 2021
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2
I did not like this very much.
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Jul 30 2021
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1
Mom rock bullshit, sorry mom
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Jan 12 2024
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5
1st time listening to this. Love it. Great voice and music. Interesting lyrics.
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Sep 28 2023
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4
Every bit of 90's rock with a female lead that you'd expect. Similar to Sheryl Crow and Meredith Brooks in vibe for me. A good mix of some moody, some peppy.
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Sep 15 2021
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2
Wow, I hate this. Her voice is annoying and the style is very adult contemporary. 2
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Mar 09 2022
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2
The first half felt like I was trapped in a Macy's commercial from 2009, but the back half a a couple nice bits that brought it up a tad for me.
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Aug 12 2020
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4
Whatever conjures up the best elements of surf-pop, new wave, and folk rock (Roger McGuinn has a benevolent eye cast over this recording).
Out on her own with a truly great batch of confessional but self-assured songs, Aimee Mann crafted a classic right out the bag with her first solo record.
I'm with Stupid was more openly defiant and rougher, but way back in 1993 Whatever already found Mann at the peak of her emotional and musical strength. Check out the layers of distorted guitars on "I Should've Known" coupled with an irresistible melody; the Byrds-isms on "Fifty-Years after the Fair" with its wonderful vocal harmonies and McGuinn's 12-string guitar resounding; the gang voices on "Say Anything" and the poignant "4th of July". Mann even tackles a May-September romance on "Mr. Harris" and sounds as dark as Days of Open Hand-era Suzanne Vega on "Jacob Marley's Chain".
Meticulously produced (by Jon Brion), written and performed, Whatever is a pop powerhouse.
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Jul 21 2021
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4
The production and songwriting was pretty great
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Sep 02 2021
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4
mid tempo pleasantry. slightly over-wrought in places but I like her vocals. From a similar mould to Tori Amos with the alt turned down and the country turned up and that's no bad thing
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Dec 10 2021
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4
I am biased. Aimee Mann went to my high school.
I wasn't aware of this fact until I was 24 and working on the film Magnolia. One of the sound guys brought his nephew to the set who was visiting from out of town. He was wearing a brown and orange Monican t-shirt. Aimee Mann happened to be on set that day and noticed the shirt. She said something along the lines to him, "Midlothian and Monican are high school rivals, and I attended Midlothian."
A couple hours later she was gone and I approached him to comment on his shirt, saying basically the same thing. "You're the second person to tell me that today," he said. Crazy. What are the chances?
I kept hoping she'd come back to the set before the end of filming, but she never did. A couple months later I worked on a Fiona Apple video with PTA and he was signing Magnolia soundtracks and giving them out to the crew. For the foreseeable future, I bought all of Aimee Mann's music and saw her perform a few times at Café Largo on Fairfax. She was great.
All of this happened AFTER Whatever was released and until now, I wasn't super-familiar with this album.
Jon Brion was heavily involved in the Magnolia soundtrack and he's here too. Though not as fully formed as her later work, the album has all the hallmarks of the work I know. Reaching vocals against basic distortion, slower acoustic songs with a smattering of samples with a heavy emphasis on her soothing voice.
This album was best played in the 1990s in middle-suburbia. Ideally listened to on CD, but definitely in the bedrooms of late-teen-anxty girls who yearn for a life far from Midlothian and closer to Melrose Place.
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Mar 25 2022
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4
Reminds me a lot of Alanis. I like the music and angst behind her lyrics!
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Mar 27 2022
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3
I enjoyed listening to this, but found myself lingering on the album’s potential rather than the album itself . It’s not surprising that it’s Amy Mann’s first album because it seems like one of someone who hasn’t yet come into their own, which we all know Amy Mann does just a few years later. Instead of having an original take, this album takes the best of 90’s music and puts it all together. Which makes it good, but not great.
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Jun 15 2022
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3
Never heard of Aimee Mann before, but wow, the album really sucked me in. Her voice is nice, light, and airy. The songs feel like just the right mix of rock and pop. It might not stand out next to other albums, but it was a really enjoyable listen.
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Sep 15 2024
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3
Looks like sexist morons had a field day looking down upon this record. Not good, especially since "Whatever" is filled with many interesting and/or pretty arrangements, beyond its "alternative" / MOR / post-REM surface. The subtle 'chamber pop" ones, especially, are awesome.
Unfortunately, the production values and overall sound haven't aged that well (some of those horrible "gated" drums shouldn't have seen the light of day in 1993). And beyond the arrangements, I personally feel that some songs and melodies in the record are far better than others--when the chamber pop arrangements disappear, Aimee's music indeed sounds a little too sweet and tame, even a little quaint. The middle of the record feels like a slog to go through, especially. And even for the rest of the album, it is my opinion that there were far more exciting things happening in the early nineties than that part of Aimee Mann's albums (and I also feel like some of her later records are a tad bit more impressive than this debut overall).
Reading myself again, I fear that I might actually rehash some of the points made by haters on this app. I don't want to, but on the other hand, it's always a fine line when you want to wear your heart on your sleeve. I sometimes have trouble reconciling some of the different intents of the album--between the few off-kilter touches and the incredibly formulaic ones. I'm glad the first are here, but they fit so badly with the rest that some awkwardness lingers in the air every time a song leads to another...
That said, *Whatever* succeeds in kindling my interest again in its final run ("I've Had It" is a gem). Not so bad, I guess... Essential, though?
3/5 for the purposes of this list of essential albums.
8 for more general purposes (5 + 3)
Number of albums left to review: 66
Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 404
Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 232 (including this one)
Albums from the list I won't include in mine: 299
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Aug 19 2021
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2
Wetter than SHACK's luscious locks after one of his infamous six-hour showers.
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Aug 14 2024
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2
This is way too dense and too 90s. The melodies are boring and same-y, with lyrics that are way too verbose. Maybe it’s a product of the time but every song feels like it needed an edit pass.
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Sep 02 2021
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1
I think its cool when someone's first and last name both end in double letters. That's potentially the most stand-out aspect of this album. Expert songwriting that sums into something unremarkable. This is a softball tossed underhand straight down the middle. No spin. No mustard. No funny business. No affect. No risks. No fun. D
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Oct 29 2021
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1
Boring, forgettable. You really have to wonder how some of these albums make it onto this list.
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Aug 20 2021
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5
This was really good. Not a bad song on here. Consider me a Mann Fann.
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Jun 01 2022
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5
I've loved this album since it came out. The slightly flat, pitchy vocals matched the 90s vibe for me. I'm just hoping that the 1001 trend of similar albums two days in a row brings some Juliana Hatfield. Swoon
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Dec 12 2022
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5
Really really good!! It felt like an unhinged Michelle Branch. I'd probably revisit it again.
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Dec 30 2022
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5
I first met Aimee Mann watching sitcoms, back in the (now) distant 90s. What a trip back in time listening to this CD, and the certainty that good music never ages.
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Jan 25 2023
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5
One of the best artist’s best albums
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Aug 21 2023
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5
I'd always thought of this as Aimee Mann's least strong album, and it's true (IMO) that she has better ones (Lost In Space, Forgotten Arm might be the top of the list), but I enjoyed this a lot more than I remembered.
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Aug 30 2023
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5
Mann's melancholy warbling was a perfect accompaniment to my granola-making on this chilly late-summer day.
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Aug 30 2023
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5
Not gonna lie that there is some 90's nostalgia here...but I love that!! I also loved this!!! You go, girl!
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Sep 05 2023
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5
All Aimee's lp's are worth having - but this the the must 'must have'. Gorgeous tunes and intelligent lyrics. Every home should have one. Jon Brion deserves praise too!
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Sep 10 2023
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5
dense and tasteful
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Oct 30 2023
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5
10/10
reminds me of Poe, who I’m also a huge fan of
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Nov 12 2023
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5
Loved this — my first 5 star album of the project! I only knew one Aimee Mann song (Labrador), but I'm not surprised at all that I'm into this. I'm such a sucker for upbeat melodies with sad lyrics and female harmonies. A few of these were a little two slow to be top favorites, but I loved "Fifty Years After the Fair," "Put Me On Top," and "Stupid Thing." Also hilarious that she's got a song about Jacob Marley, I love A Christmas Carol.
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Dec 10 2023
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5
Aimee Mann is always 5 stars in my book. I could listen to anything of hers every day.
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Dec 20 2023
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5
I’ve never heard of Aimee Mann before, but I really enjoyed this album - she’s a clearly skilled songwriter and this album is packed with great songs.
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Dec 27 2023
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5
Nothing was saving our day
There was nothing to say
But you said something anyway
Claiming I stepped out of line
Which forced you to leave me
As if that idea was mine.
Oh, you stupid thing
Speaking of course as your dear departed
Oh, you stupid thing
It wasn't me that you
Outsmarted
Oh, you stupid thing
Stopping it all
Before it even started
I fucking love this album.
5/5
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Jan 07 2024
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5
I have loved Aimee Mann since watching Magnolia. This album being on here makes me wonder if there are others of here on here. Bachelor No. 2 is my favourite of hers. Here's hoping.
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Jan 19 2024
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5
The girlhood my god <3
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Feb 16 2024
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5
Nice, pleasant.
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Feb 26 2024
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5
Albums like this make this whole exercise 100% worth it.
"Voices Carry" was always a not so guilty pleasure at the karaoke bar, and I've read a lot of critical praise since about her lengthy solo career, and of course her long term personal relationship with Michael Penn makes them sort of latter-day saints of Laurel Canyon, but none of it got me off the dime to actually check out her work.
Masterful in every way. Immediately from the jump, just the basic sounds of it are interesting and well-considered in a way that betrays deep craftsmanship, care and, frankly, budget. But she knows how to spend that budget in a way few do. Compare the production to the flat monotony of Fiona Apple's album, for example. Or that of most albums on this list, for that matter.
Over the course of its tunes, the same depth of manicured mastery is revealed in the songwriting, both musically and lyrically.
This kind of well-rounded depth of talent is extra rare but as Charles De Gaulle once said, sort of, the cemetery is full of masterful albums made by talented people. And in the immortal words of Van Hagar, only time will tell if this we, this album and me, will stand the test of time.
All I can say today is that any album that can be this genuinely interesting the very first time you hear it deserves the highest praise.
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Mar 06 2024
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5
Big lover of Till Tuesday…. Really enjoyed hearing her incredible vocals and lyrics… now, I just wanna hear more!!
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Mar 22 2024
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5
Surprisingly great acoustic Alanis
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Mar 22 2024
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5
This woman has a wonderful voice.
Her story telling in song is fantastic.
It was a great pleasure to discover this album.
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Mar 28 2024
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5
One of my favorites
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Apr 22 2024
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5
Engaging lyrics, yes, but the voice has the hypnotic beauty that carries the tune. All-star instrumentation. Frequent driving interplay between the voice and guitar. Pop should always be this good.
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May 09 2024
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5
Id never listened to Aimee Mann but I really loved this one. I'm not sure what I was expecting but it wasn't quite this! Really great songwriting, some interesting piano work and really good vocals!
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May 12 2024
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5
I'm all in in what Aimee Mann is selling. Though there's not a track that stands out as "i have to listen to that over and over again", from start to finish the album is approachable and has a good amount of energy for a alt-rock-folk-pop vibe. I really like her voice and delivery. I say Yes!
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May 16 2024
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5
cool
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Jul 14 2024
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5
Ok if you are not already familiar with Aimee Mann I am going to recommend that you absolutely don't listen to this first. Listen to the Magnolia soundtrack which has 8 of her A-star songs (plus a great cover). That will key you into her subtle, ironic downbeat world far more quickly. Then come back to this which is an excellent album. Yes it's a nineties female singer-songwriter and at times the production, playing and arrangements are of that time. But her lyrics, her delivery, her vibe, her songwriting are all absolutely excellent here as on this and next four or five albums. she is one of music's best kept secrets.
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Jul 26 2024
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5
Love her voice. Chill album.
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Sep 06 2024
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5
This album is untapped nostalgia. I loved it. Alt pop/folk/storytelling album that feels almost wholly unique. Endearing and fun. A modern band that feels adjacent would be Men I Trust, but this is a more pop feel. Nothing here I felt was bad or out of place, the only exception being that the ending has too much of a high school theater kind of vibe. I’ll say it’s a guilty pleasure for me. Standouts: Pretty much everything here.
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Sep 26 2024
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5
This is a really good indie pop album. The songs are catchy, Mann's voice stands out, and the instrumentals are varied and fun. I liked everything about it. As far as dreamy pop music goes, this stands out as some of the best.
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Oct 11 2024
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5
i've yet to hear a bad Aimee Mann song. whether that's through luck or simply her sheer consistency, in every track from her that i've heard, she's generating this peculiar warmth in each song thick as a rainforest. Jon Brion's no slouch either -- if this is a test run for Aimee Mann's skills as a singer-songwriter, it's his test run for his 70's studio nerd production style. i get that '93 was a stacked year, but what the hell was wrong with people that they weren't buying this? were they stupid? deaf? both? is this also why Spilt Milk didn't sell well?
when i die, don't bury me. wrap me in an Aimee Mann song then throw me in the ocean. i'll stay warm forever.
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Jul 02 2021
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4
4/5
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Jul 12 2021
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4
Really liked this
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Jul 12 2021
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4
I enjoyed this. I should listen to her more.
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Sep 03 2021
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4
Aimee man, goed rustig popalbum!
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Oct 15 2021
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4
An ethereal, entrancing album, packed to the gills with pleasing tunes and a voice to match.
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Nov 25 2021
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4
11/23/2021
Today's Album: "Whatever" by Aimee Mann - This album is very easy on the ears. It sounds like a cross between Fleetwood Mac, R.E.M, and the 3 blonds. That classic rock backdrop with very interesting additions like sharp guitar solos floating around the channels or a variety of synths providing different backdrops. I really like a lot of the melodies here and the songs keep my attention with how they build and how good the production is. There are some slower songs that end up losing me and I think there are a lot of times where the singers vocals just don't really work with what's going on musically, but this is a very occasional problem and often her voice is extremely strong and smooth. This is 90s grunge throwing it back to some classic Fleetwood Mac sounds and I think it works out fairly well.
Score:
7.5/10 Solid
Highlights:
I should have known, 50 years after the fair, put me on top, say anything, I know there's a word, Way back when.
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Nov 25 2021
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4
Solid country album, has a fun bit of rock and pop in it that gives it a strong identity. Good singer, good music, good vibe
7/10
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Dec 24 2021
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4
I'm a sucker for a good '90s alt/pop album and this one hits all the right notes for sure. Really fun. I'm surprised I haven't listened to her more.
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Dec 31 2021
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4
Excellent female singer-songwriter 90s alt rock. Feels like the kind of vibes that are popular again
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Mar 03 2022
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4
Enjoyed
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Mar 06 2022
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4
Decent pop/rock album with a storytelling style lyricism. Tad bit long but overall catchy enough to warrant 4 stars
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Apr 27 2022
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4
Prejak album, nadam se da cu je nastaviti slušati, a ne sam zaboravit
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May 05 2022
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4
I just love her voice. Not my favorite of hers, but still very enjoyable.
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May 05 2022
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4
I love pretty much everything about Aimee Mann. Her songwriting, tone, voice,… also she’s quite funny.
I know it’s not genius or groundbreaking, but I return to her records all the time.
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May 12 2022
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4
Some good songs there. Nothing crazy though!
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May 13 2022
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4
Great voice and writing. Enjoyed her sound.
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May 25 2022
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4
this album surprised me; i wasn't expecting to enjoy it as much as i did. i wish i found this album as a teenager. i would have grown such an attachment, and my former teenage self is mourning that loss. this album is a four, but i know i will listen to this album more. it could easily become a five!
the songs are catchy, beautiful, witty. "jacob marley's chain"--everyone knows the reference but it's still fresh and sounds eerie. "i should've known" isn't the only song with attention grabbing lyrics, but this song definitely stood out. there's some great guitar work in here, too. lots of emotions, but it still makes for a lovely, calming listen.
so many instruments among the album's personnel! perhaps this is the only album that has dixie cup within its liner notes?
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Jun 01 2022
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4
Never heard this but I do love some of Aimee Mann's stuff. I found a lot to like on here. Very lovely.
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Jun 02 2022
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4
The “til Tuesdayesque rocker that opens the record is a bit off-point in terms of what’s to come which is very polished and utterly winsome songwriter-powered pop. Just a treat to listen to, really, as was the whole career renaissance that followed.
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Jun 15 2022
View Author
4
Very good
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Jul 13 2022
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4
I like Aimee Mann
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Jul 14 2022
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4
Pretty dang solid pop rock country album. Proto-sheryl crow
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Jul 25 2022
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4
Great power pop, unmistakably produced by Jon Brion
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Aug 31 2022
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4
I hadn't ever listened to this particular album which is ridiculous because Aimee Mann is amazing.
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Sep 19 2022
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4
Just made me really sleepy and relaxed but defiantly a relaxed and clam album with Beautiful vocals along with nothing ever to fast but just slow so not too bad
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Sep 28 2022
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4
Good album i never heard.
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Sep 30 2022
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4
You could say I’m an Aimee Mann man
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Oct 20 2022
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4
Nice.
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Oct 21 2022
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4
Wonderful times less stories, sometimes can date itself in the music
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Nov 10 2022
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4
I need to listen to more Aimee Mann.
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Dec 19 2022
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4
This is really nice power-pop. I'm a sucker for jangle under any circumstances, and she just has a great sense for catchy hooks and fun harmonic touches. It starts a little stronger than it ends (the first song is easily the best), but pretty consistent quality. Lots of nice backing vocals, little flourishes on the organ, good stuff.
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Dec 29 2022
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4
Solid if unspectacular, but maybe an album that would benefit from repeated listening. Sounds kind of like a lot of artists I love, so probably someone I could get into. Really torn on how to score this - might as well err on the side of generosity!
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Dec 30 2022
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4
Nice one
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Dec 30 2022
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4
Not my cup of tea. Not bad, but did not get me interested.
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Jan 11 2023
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4
Catchy music. Clever lyrics. Nice.
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Jan 13 2023
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4
Really great, nice mix of styles.
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Jan 20 2023
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4
It's a little bit singer-songwriter, a little bit americana, all cloaked in the hue of the 90s, a little irony, a little alternative. Aimee's voice is very far up in the mix, but I think that's a good thing to focus on her writing, which is very strong, save a few spots. It's all very earnest, and I like it. Favorite tracks: "I Should've Known", "Say Anything", "I Could Hurt You Now"
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