| Mental Illness | ||||
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | March 31, 2017 | |||
| Genre | Folk | |||
| Length | 38:29 | |||
| Label | SuperEgo | |||
| Producer | Paul Bryan | |||
| Aimee Mann chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Mental Illness | ||||
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Mental Illness is the ninth studio album by singer-songwriter Aimee Mann. It was released on March 31, 2017, by SuperEgo Records. Mann described it as her "saddest, slowest and most acoustic" album. [1] [2] The album won the 2018 Grammy Award for Best Folk Album.
"Goose Snow Cone" was inspired by a photo of a friend's cat Mann received while on tour in Ireland. [3] "Patient Zero" was written following a meeting Mann and her husband, Michael Penn, had with actor Andrew Garfield, who had recently arrived in Hollywood. Mann said Garfield was "obviously kind of freaked out about the vibe of being in that rarefied movie star atmosphere ... So I wrote a song inspired by that." [3] Mann wrote "Can't You Tell" with Donald Trump in mind, who she described as "repugnant ... But I think he's miserable. He's a miserable person looking for outside solutions to internal problems, and I certainly can relate to that.". [3] The song features in the musical project 1,000 Days, 1,000 Songs.
The album features contributions by Ted Leo, who collaborated with Mann on their project the Both. [4] [5] Jonathan Coulton co-wrote "Patient Zero", "Good For Me" and "Rollercoasters", while John Roderick of the Long Winters cowrote "Poor Judge". [6] [7]
The bulk of the album was recorded on Mann's label, SuperEgo Records, by producer Paul Bryan at Mayberry PCH recording studio. The string arrangements were arranged and conducted by Bryan and recorded separately at United Recordings Los Angeles by Ryan Freeland.
Mann said her manager had pressured her to create more uptempo music, but she resisted, explaining, "Because emotional honesty is uplifting, and it doesn't really matter what the emotion is. It's just uplifting, so that's how I approach it. Writing these songs is never depressing for me, and I don't think you can write out of a position of depression anyway." [8]
The first single from the album, "Goose Snow Cone", was released on January 17, 2017. [1] [2] [9] On March 27, 2017, Mann performed the song on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. [10]
A second single from the album entitled "Patient Zero" was released on March 8, 2017. [11] [5] The music video features actors Bradley Whitford, Tim Heidecker and James Urbaniak. [11]
The album's cover artwork is by visual artist Andrea Dezsö. [12]
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AnyDecentMusic? | 7.9/10 [13] |
| Metacritic | 84/100 [14] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [15] |
| Chicago Tribune | [16] |
| Consequence of Sound | A− [17] |
| The Independent | [18] |
| The Irish Times | [19] |
| Mojo | [20] |
| Pitchfork | 7.8/10 [21] |
| Q | [22] |
| Record Collector | [23] |
| Uncut | 9/10 [24] |
As opposed to her previous album, Charmer , which was defined as a "solid, punchy pop rock" album, Mental Illness consists of acoustic guitars, strings and percussion. [17] Ryan Bray from Consequence of Sound defined it as the musical "equivalent of washing your mouth out with soap" and stated that it "smacks of cold reality". [17]
Ryan Reed from Rolling Stone magazine described it as "sad and folky". [1] Katie Rife from The A.V. Club pointed out that Mental Illness is a continuation of Aimee Mann's historic tradition of chronicling life's disappointments, both simple and profound. [5] Mojo writer James McNair described it as "intimate and reflective" and said that it is "easy to get lost in". [20] Steve Horowitz of PopMatters wrote that "Mann is our modern day Dory Previn, whose whip-smart sensibility suggests intelligence and mania at the same time." [25] Craig Dorfman of Paste declared that "Mann has earned her reputation as a master songwriter". [26] Jon Pareles of The New York Times stated that on Mental Illness Mann is "Tunefully Tracing Elegant Despair". [27] Maura Johnston of The Boston Globe wrote that "Mann crafts a melancholic atmosphere that is worth repeated listens." [28] Greg Kot of the Chicago Tribune declared it as one of Mann's "sparest, quietest albums and also among her most beautiful". [16] Allan Raible of ABC News articulated that this record is "firmly planted in mature soundscapes", that "you may find yourself getting lost in this album's sonic textures" and that with Mental Illness "Aimee Mann continues to be one of the most gripping storytellers writing music today". [29] Dw. Dunphy of Popdose notes that, while the music in Mental Illness is gorgeous, this isn't a "feel good" album. But, for those in the right frame of mind, it's "a warm, plush comforter to crawl into when the self-pity stops working." [30]
Mann announced the tour, along with the album itself, on January 17, 2017. [4] [1] The tour encompassed performances all around North America, featuring one show in Canada, the rest taking place in the US. The first tour date was April 20, 2017, and the last two months later on June 30, 2017. [31] Along with Mann herself, the tour featured Jonathan Coulton on acoustic guitar, Jay Bellerose on drums, a string quartet, Jamie Edwards on piano, and Paul Bryan on bass while singing backup vocals. Many of the musicians who played on the album also joined Mann on the tour (see Personnel). [32] [33]
On January 28, 2018 the album won the Grammy Award for Best Folk Album. [34] It also won Best American Roots & Folk Album at the 2018 A2IM Libera Awards. [35]
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Goose Snow Cone" | 3:35 |
| 2. | "Stuck in the Past" | 3:33 |
| 3. | "You Never Loved Me" | 3:07 |
| 4. | "Rollercoasters" | 3:44 |
| 5. | "Lies of Summer" | 2:42 |
| 6. | "Patient Zero" | 3:41 |
| 7. | "Good for Me" | 4:09 |
| 8. | "Knock It Off" | 3:01 |
| 9. | "Philly Sinks" | 3:14 |
| 10. | "Simple Fix" | 4:12 |
| 11. | "Poor Judge" | 3:33 |
| Total length: | 38:29 | |
The Japanese edition of the album has an additional bonus track, "Throw You Over".
Amy Wickman, Gina Kronstadt, Terry Glenny, Radu Piepta and Susan Chatman
Aaron Oltman and Rodney Wirtz
John Krovoza and Peggy Baldwin
| Chart (2017) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders) [37] | 112 |
| German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) [38] | 69 |
| Irish Albums (IRMA) [39] | 33 |
| New Zealand Heatseekers Albums (RMNZ) [40] | 6 |
| Scottish Albums (OCC) [41] | 36 |
| Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade) [42] | 70 |
| UK Albums (OCC) [43] | 53 |
| US Billboard 200 [44] | 54 |
'Til Tuesday was an American new wave band formed in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. The band, consisting of Aimee Mann, Robert Holmes (guitar), Joey Pesce (keyboards), and Michael Hausman (drums), was active from 1982 to 1989. They are best known for their 1985 hit single "Voices Carry".
Lost in Space is the fourth album by singer-songwriter Aimee Mann, released in 2002 on her own label, SuperEgo Records. A special edition released in 2003 featured a second disc containing six live recordings, two B-sides and two previously unreleased songs.
Aimee Elizabeth Mann is an American singer-songwriter. Over the course of four decades, she has released ten studio albums as a solo artist. She is noted for her sardonic and literate lyrics about dark subjects, often describing lost or lonely underdog characters. Her work with the producer Jon Brion in the 1990s was influential on American alternative rock.
Michael Daniel Penn is an American musician, singer and composer. His 1989 single "No Myth" was a top 20 hit in the US and successful in several other countries.
Whatever is the first solo album by the American singer-songwriter Aimee Mann, released in 1993.
I'm with Stupid is the second studio album by the American singer-songwriter Aimee Mann, released in 1995.
Bachelor No. 2 or, the Last Remains of the Dodo is the third album by the American singer-songwriter Aimee Mann, released on May 2, 2000. Some songs were previously released on the Magnolia soundtrack (1999), which Mann wrote in the same period. "The Fall of the World's Own Optimist" was co-written with the English singer-songwriter Elvis Costello.
Jonathan William Coulton, often called "JoCo" by fans, is an American folk/comedy singer-songwriter, known for his songs about geek culture and his use of the Internet to draw fans. Among his most popular songs are "Code Monkey", "Re: Your Brains", "Still Alive", and "Want You Gone". He was the house musician for NPR weekly puzzle quiz show Ask Me Another from 2012 until its end in 2021.
I've Got My Own Hell to Raise is an album by Bettye LaVette. It was released on September 27, 2005, on Anti-. The album comprises covers of songs written by other female artists including Aimee Mann, Joan Armatrading, Sinéad O'Connor, Rosanne Cash, Dolly Parton and Fiona Apple, whose song "Sleep to Dream" (1997) contains the album's title within its lyrics. I've Got My Own Hell to Raise was chosen as one of Amazon.com's Top 100 Editor's Picks of 2005.
@#%&*! Smilers is the seventh studio album by singer-songwriter Aimee Mann. It was released by SuperEgo Records in the UK on June 2, 2008, and in the US on June 3. Upon the week of its release the album was featured as the Virgin Megastore "Pick of the Week".
Paul Bryan is an American music producer, arranger, songwriter, and bassist.
Aimee Mann is an American singer-songwriter who has released several albums since the early 1980s. Originally, she worked in collaboration with The Young Snakes and 'Til Tuesday, before becoming a solo artist. In 2013, she and Ted Leo began performing as a duo called The Both.
Charmer is the eighth studio album by singer-songwriter Aimee Mann, released by SuperEgo Records in the UK on September 17, 2012, and in the US on September 18.
The Both is an American indie rock musical duo consisting of Aimee Mann and Ted Leo. They began collaborating in 2013 and released a self-titled album in April 2014.
Solid State is the ninth studio album by singer-songwriter Jonathan Coulton. It was released on April 28, 2017. Coulton describes it as "a concept album about the internet, trolls, artificial intelligence, and how love and empathy will save humanity!" Coulton says that the album "has a bit of a concept behind it," with a "character that you follow throughout his life."
"Coming Up Close" is a song by American band 'Til Tuesday, which was released in 1986 as the second and final single from their second studio album Welcome Home. The song was written by Aimee Mann and produced by Rhett Davies. "Coming Up Close" peaked at No. 59 on the US Billboard Hot 100.
"That's Just What You Are" is a song by American singer-songwriter Aimee Mann, which was released in 1994 as a single from the soundtrack of Melrose Place. It was also included on Mann's second studio album I'm with Stupid (1995). The song was written by Mann and Jon Brion, and produced by Mike Denneen.
"Going Through the Motions" is a song by American singer-songwriter Aimee Mann, which was released in 2005 as the lead single from her fifth studio album The Forgotten Arm. The song was written by Mann and produced by Joe Henry. "Going Through the Motions" peaked at No. 18 in the US Billboard Adult Alternative Songs chart.
"The Other End (Of the Telescope)" is a song by American band 'Til Tuesday, which was released in 1988 on their third and final studio album Everything's Different Now. The song was written by Aimee Mann and Elvis Costello. Costello recorded his own version of the song for his 1996 album All This Useless Beauty.
Queens of the Summer Hotel is the tenth studio album by the American singer-songwriter Aimee Mann, released on November 5, 2021, on SuperEgo Records. The songs were inspired by Susanna Kaysen's 1993 memoir Girl, Interrupted.
