Mandy Moore

Stunning Once You Adjust To The Mulitple Styles

Review Score:

(8/10)
Mandy Moore's debut did not get much success, nor did its reissued version, "I Wanna Be With You" (even though that was a great album). With her sophomore, self-titled album, Mandy takes a more hook-laden, production-heavy approach but still manages to make it work. For this offering, Mandy enlists the help of some of the big names in music including Emilio Estefan, Diane Warren, and even co-wrote a song herself. The result is a mixed bag of styles, with more great songs than missteps. Mandy's album was mostly noticed when her ballad "Cry" was used in the movie, "A Walk To Remember" which she'd also starred in. Mandy has a distinctive voice that is neither suited for powerful, vocal gymnastics like Jessica Simpson and Christina Aguilera nor does it require overproduction to hide behind. Instead, Mandy blends with her songs, neither overshadowing the music nor being overshadowed. It is this quality of her voice that allows her album to flow cohesively, making it an overall great listen.

Beginning with the Middle-Eastern (??) sounding "In My Pocket", which sounds great despite the confusing metaphor, the album starts off with a catchy, upbeat song that is certainly different from Mandy's previous material. The song is not particularly powerful or meaningful but it is fun to listen to nonetheless. "You Remind Me" is great except for the chorus. Mandy's vocals do not disappoint but the lyrics in the chorus are quite weak ("feels so weird it must be dÃ©jÃ vu"). Mandy sounds sweet in this song and it is enough to make up for the weak chorus. "Saturate Me" is a much better metaphor than the first song. Though it is still unclear what the metaphor is about, Mandy's vocals sound amazing and the lyrics are incredible.

"One Sided Love" is one of the weaker songs simply because it does not seem to fit with Mandy very well. Mandy tries hard to make this song work but fails because the style does not really suit her. It is not awful but it's too overproduced for my taste. "17" on the other hand is one of my favourites. This is one of Mandy's beautiful, touching ballads. The song talks about wanting to live for the moment because of your youth. Particularly, it talks about Mandy wanting to be with someone ("I don't want to do right, I just want you tonight and not only in my dreams"). Despite the subject matter, Mandy pulls it off gracefully and subtly so it is not immediately evident what the song is about. This is by far one of my favourite Mandy Moore songs. Following this is one of my other favourite songs of Mandy's (the other ones being "Only Hope", and quite a few songs off of Mandy's debut and "Coverage" albums). "Cry" was the theme song for "A Walk To Remember". This song is just as beautiful, though a little faster in pace, as the previous song. Mandy's voice sounds more powerful than usual but still maintains its sweet quality.

"Crush" comes next, and though it was a single, I really do not find it that appealing. It has a similar feel to "You Remind Me" in the sense that it has good vocals but a poorly written chorus. However, I have to admit it is a song that a lot of people can relate to and so it is a worthwhile addition. "It Only Took A Minute" appears quite weak on paper but in actuality it is a great song. Mandy's vocals and the awesome background music save the song from being brought down by the mediocre lyrics. "Turn The Clock Around" is one of my least favourites. It's not that Mandy or the writers did anything really out there with the song; it is just that it does not fit Mandy's style very well. Vocally, Mandy does a great job and the lyrics are not too bad. In fact, the song is in no way horrible. It is just not up to the same level as the rest of the material.

"Yo-yo" is yet another great metaphor that actually works out quite well. This time, we can actually see what the metaphor is referring to. At first, it may seem as though the style does not suit Mandy but after a few listens, most listeners adjust and see that the song sounds awesome. "From Loving You", the song penned by Diane Warren, also takes a few listens to adjust to however it quickly grows on you. At first, it sounds extremely different from most other Diane Warren ballads but it actually suits Mandy's style and the general sound of the album impeccably. "Split Chick" is definitely the weakest song. The style does not fit Mandy at all and the lyrics are quite poor. Not even Mandy's vocals can save it. Lastly, there is "When I Talk To You", the song that Mandy herself co-wrote. Mandy sings in a somewhat higher pitch than usual, making it initially difficult to hear the words but once you adjust to this, you will notice the beautiful lyrics. Mandy's delivery is truly beautiful.

Overall Mark: 4/5

Overall, "Mandy Moore" (the album not the singer) took a few listens to really grow on me. This is the type of album that you will listen to a few times and think, "I never realized how good that song was". Of course, it does have a few downfalls however they are more than made up for with the beautiful vocals and well-written lyrics. Speaking of writing, I think Mandy should pick up the pen more often since her contribution was stunning. I look forward to hearing more songs written by her. Mandy really shines on subdued songs like "17" and on ballads like "Cry". A couple of songs could use rewrites, and I would really have liked "Only Hope", from "A Walk To Remember" to be on here. However, as a whole, this is an incredible album once it grows on you.

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