Listening
August 14th, 2005Michael Penn and Aimee Mann are married. Their latest albums make good companions, too. They’re both solid power pop concept albums.
Mann’s The Forgotten Arm tracks a boxer through his fall into alcoholism and despair. The album’s a little more mellow and has less humor (obviously) than her earlier efforts. For my money, she was best around the time of Bachelor No. 2, but I really like this new album. Frankly, I’m in love with her voice, so she could sing the phone book and I’d buy it.
Penn’s Mr. Hollywood Jr., 1947 is a bit harder to swallow. It’s a relentlessly pop album, very dynamic and solid. But with pretty much everything he has done since March there doesn’t seem to be much range in his voice, and no song really jumps out and worms its way under your skin. Still, it’s pretty good, and Penn has a Beatlesesque gift for melody that’s worth the price of admission.
August 14th, 2005 at 9:36 pm
I’m with you. Aimee is one of my absolute favorite artists and can really do no wrong with me. The middle section of her new album is so so good.
I’ve only heard the new Penn from the website stream but I think it’s pretty good. I will have a physical copy in the near future.