Aimee Mann
Mental Illness (SuperEgo Records)
The acclaimed singer-songwriter returns to her roots on Mental Illness: showcasing melancholia in a nearly all-acoustic setting. Featuring Mann’s heartbreakingly honest lyrics, this free-flowing, downtempo release — which also incorporates incredibly haunting strings arranged by her longtime producer Paul Bryan — is simply gorgeous from start to finish. On the track “Patient Zero,” Mann chronicles the ebbs and flows of Hollywood fame. On the album closer “Poor Judge,” she bares all about her own intense battle with depression. For a sense of the sound, Mann has said that much of the album’s inspiration stems from her love of 1960s and ‘70s folk rock. Fans of her work on the score to Paul Thomas Anderson’s masterpiece Magnolia — with its unforgettable tracks like “Save Me,” “Wise Up” and “One” — will instantly fall in love with Mental Illness. Despite her frequently somber songwriting, Mann is one of the funniest musicians around. Get her wit on Twitter @aimeemann.
Last modified: June 28, 2019
