@#%&*! Smilers (Deluxe Version)

iTunes Review

For her 2008 solo album, Aimee Mann threw out the electric guitars and wheeled in the keyboards for a lush, orchestrated collection of primarily mid-tempo tunes that feature her usual literate observations, careful character sketches and a subtle sense of humor. The electric guitar is never missed. Mann simply soldiers on with her usual melodic gifts turning out songs that haunt with somber overtones. “Freeway” begins things with the tale of a wealthy speedfreak with all the right connections to well hide his troubles. “Thirty-One Today” sends the 47 year old songwriter back a few years to reminisce. “Medicine Wheel” settles as a ballad at the piano, “Ballantines” utilizes a saloon piano apropos of its sentiment, while “Great Beyond“ prefers the comfort of several layers of synths and organs to couch its sentiments. “True Believer”, written with Grant Lee Phillips, has a zen-like calm to its slow build. “Borrowing Time” adds a horn section, while “Columbus Ave.” features piano and strings that recall Mann’s penchant for songs that belong on the silver screen with their emotional sweep. Mann remains a master of the somber mid-tempo.