Amanda Leigh by Mandy Moore | Album Review
Mandy Moore’s fresh take on 70s-inspired folk-pop still stands up today with 2009’s Amanda Leigh
In a sea of rising pop stars from the late 90s and early 00s, many will think of artists like Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, and Jessica Simpson.
One that is easily forgotten from that time period is Mandy Moore. Moore has focused more on acting since this time period. Her most notable projects are her roles in A Walk to Remember, Saved!, and Disney’s smash animated feature Tangled.
Her beginnings were steeped in sugary teen pop with the hit single “Candy.” By the midpoint of the Aughts, Mandy began to distance herself from that image working on music that was more in the adult contemporary genre. Her 2003 covers record, Coverage, saw numerous 70s classics getting a glossy revision, such as Carly Simon’s “Anticipation,” Todd Rundgren’s “Can We Still Be Friends,” and John Hiatt’s “Have a Little Faith in Me” among others.
You can also hear her influences in more indie artists with her cover of The New Radicals track “Someday We’ll Know” from the Walk to Remember soundtrack. The push in this direction continued onwards to her 2005 album Wild Hope. This really hit a peak in 2009 with her Magnum Opus Amanda Leigh.
It’s a soft and earthy take on her prior sound and is both a tribute to and reinvention of the 70s folk/pop music Moore loves. Mandy’s persona works wonderfully with this brand of sonic experimentation. This album uses a menagerie of instruments to add to the lush blanket of sound. From guitars to a harpsichord, it feels very organic. I was extremely surprised by how much I enjoyed my entire listen to this album from front to back.
The album’s opener, “Merrimack River,” named after the river in the New England region, swings back and forth like the rocking of a canoe in the water.
Mike and Mandy’s songwriting paint a very visually evocative story. This opener brings to mind new love with all its pleasure and anxieties that it stirs up. I love how visual the words are. I feel like I’m walking along the Merrimack while grappling with the feelings of new love. My setback is the bouncy, almost ukulele-like guitar style. It just doesn’t do it for me.
“Fern Dell” is where the 70s folk inspiration takes a full front seat. The earthy vibes of clavinet (which paints in tones of Stevie Wonder), rich strings, and acoustic guitars jettison you forward from the jump. Moore’s pristine vocal delivery against the backing vocalist sets you in a room of pastels.
This rush of sonic motion brings with it the realization of not truly knowing your partner, “Follow the kicks and punches with the rest/ Rearrange the furniture hoping it would make more sense/ It didn’t make a difference/ It only made a bigger mess.” It’s a gentle spiraling, but a spiraling nonetheless by the song’s bridge. Although the summery richness can be a bit too pristine, I quite enjoy the textures and songwriting in the track.
Probably the most straightforward pop tune on the album is “I Could Break Your Heart Any Day of the Week.”
It’s easy to see why the song was selected as the lead single as it sounds the most radio-ready out of all the tracks on the album. There’s a razor-sharp notion of that she could destroy this man at any moment, “I could turn you on/ I could turn the other cheek/ And it would break your heart any day of the week” that doesn’t match the flowery vibe of the track. I wish instead of Mandy’s sunshine-filled delivery, we had a little more drama, both sonically and vocally. As is, it’s a bright and shiny take on the “cross me, and I can ruin you” theme.
“Pocket Philosopher” brings richer metallic tones of an old upright that gives the track just the right amount of roughness to cut through Mandy’s clean, pure vocal delivery. This upbeat song goes perfectly with a carefree attitude Moore takes across a great portion of the track. This joy fueled demeanor unravels just slightly by the song’s last section, “I was awoken by the morning light/ My heart felt heavy/ I wasn’t quite ready to wake up or makeup another good reason/ One that is pleasing in a world without seasons/ ’Cause the truth isn’t pretty when it hits you in the face.” Unlike the polar opposites of the prior song, “Pocket Philosopher” marries the vibes quite well.
“Song About Home” is one of my favorites on the album. What makes it so interesting is the flutter of woodwinds against the gentle acoustic guitar and the bright rays of Mandy’s layered vocals. It’s a lush little dream of a sonic landscape.
This dreamy number matches to hope to fly free from home to find oneself, “Too many dreams of my house burning where I’m the one who struck the match/ Try to find the meaning; a life on fire, a bird will hatch/ To a treetop on a mountainside or join an arrow in the sky/ I know, I know someday I will be home.” Lyrically, it is extremely visual and fantastically written. Mandy channels the richness of, say, a Joni Mitchell song quite well. It’s a lovely surprise.
We cool off the mood with “Everblue.” Still as earthy as before, the Wurlitzer adds just the right shade to the brightness that has been displayed. Adding to this mild mood is the soft coo of horns that peek through the backing tones. The song is co-written by 5-time Grammy-winning folk/Americana artist Lori McKenna (“Girl Crush,” “Humble and Kind,” and “Crowded Table”). The more gentle approach Moore takes vocally is a welcomed change. I love the subtle yearning she takes in the love longing lines, “Played the pain upright, straight ahead and with the beat/ You can ease yourself into the light or keep that record on repeat/ What if I loved you/ Everblue.” It’s a soft change to the brightness that the album has seen up to this point.
“Merrimack River (Reprise)” is our short intermission. It grants an almost child-like imagery through toy pianos and hovering strings. We get a summery afternoon country-tinged number with “Love to Love Me Back.” Washed in pedal steels, bright electric guitars, and a Hammond organ, sonically, it feels right at home on a Sheryl Crow album.
The subject matters see Mandy wishing she could get the love she’s sending out back her way, “I want love to love me back/ I want two-way conversations/ I want love to love me back/ One that can handle any situation/ I want love to love me back.” I love the sound; I wish it was sung a little less glossy. I think if Moore had added some more breathy or half-sung moments, it would have made the song that much more better.
“Indian Summer” is a clever take on a crush that blew in as quickly as it left. You get clear Carole King notes behind the mild piano lines and melody. Adding the harpsichord fluttering in alongside some of the horns makes for a lovely textural experience.
Her reminiscent state on this fly-by-night love affair is sewn throughout the track, “You were an Indian Summer/ I’m still the same/ Won’t you tell me what to say/ You were always good that way.” Again, Moore’s more cool delivery keeps the track rich but not glossy. The richness of the song and her vocal style makes it one of my favorites on the album.
“Nothing Everything” is another personal favorite on the album. The wooden pluck of the harpsichord adds a richness that is rarely found in pop music. Mandy struggles with the turbulent emotional state her lover is in, “Tell me a story/ Saturday morning has brought a break in the clouds/ Before the thunder and rain/ start up again/ I want to let it all out.”
Even in the sunnier moments, there's desperation to try to get this man to see how good he is. The song ends in a sort of swirl downwards off chaotically shiny sounds.
“Bug” ends off the record. Its finger-style guitar playing brings in hints of James Taylor. The title comes from the name that Moore and Ryan Adams had for one another (which, in retrospect, has a more tragic feeling knowing his unsavory character and her constricted feeling in the relationship).
Looking at it lyrically, it’s a long-distance love song. She’s aching to see him as he’s out and about on tour, “You know I love you/ What am I supposed to do/ You’re so far away/ I stay on track/ You’re all over the map/ Come back to L.A.” I do love the Carly Simon singing to James Taylor’s guitar playing sound the song provides (I may be reading too far into it, but the “Coming Around Again” lines feel like a direct call out to the Carly Simon song of the same name).
It’s funny to say that I really liked this album. Some moments feel too polished, but the folksy sound works with Mandy Moore’s clear love for 70s singer/songwriters. It’s a shame I don’t see this album on streaming services — I had to grab a physical copy from a local used record store.
This kind of take on this genre of music could be a total cheese feast, but the authenticity of Moore’s delivery makes for a really nice experience. I do wonder if she has distanced herself from this project due to its production by ex-husband Ryan Adams whom she, as noted, was emotionally abusive during their relationship. Numerous other artists, such as Jenny Lewis, Liz Phair, and Phoebe Bridgers, have also come out with misconduct allegations against him.
I want to celebrate the hard work and execution of this great little gem of an album. My personal favorites:
- “Fern Dell”
- “Song About Home”
- “Everblue”
- “Indian Summer”
- “Nothing Everything”
- “Bug”
My overall rating: 6.5 out of 10. It shows the talent that Mandy Moore has in the realms of songwriting. I look forward to listening to her latest album In Real Life, which has an interesting indie pop sound.
