Aimee Mann
Bachelor No. 2

THE REVIEW

It was one of the days after the Pope's death, and Mtv, out of respect, was playing only soothing and calm music, and it was on this occasion that I discovered her. She was singing, hidden in a corner of the screen, Save Me, the song that made her very famous in America in '99, also thanks to its inclusion in the soundtrack of that great film Magnolia.
In fact, Mann's story doesn't revolve solely around Save Me. On the contrary, back in the '80s, she was part of Til Tuesday, a fairly well-known pop group. After their breakup in the early '90s, she released her first two albums Whatever and I'm So Stupid, good works but with little impact. Therefore, after a tough period, especially due to problems with the record label, it was in '99 that nine of her pieces were included in the Magnolia film soundtrack, and soon after, in 2000, her successful work Bachelor No. 2 was released, and this is exactly what I want to talk about.

Aimee is like a diesel engine, starting slowly, somberly, almost shyly. Even the first few listens are like this; few songs stick in your head. The absolute inspiration from the Beatles is immediately felt; it almost seems like imitation, those decadent melodies, that somewhat hazy voice, sometimes even flat. But then something changes, and after 3/4 listens, you learn to distinguish the songs, to understand the sometimes too complicated lyrics, and to appreciate the melodies.
After months and months, I have learned to understand and appreciate Mann. She sings about herself with innate elegance, highlighting the darker and more decadent sides of her life and the society that surrounds us, with mature and intelligent writing, definitely cultured.
In my opinion, she is a brilliant singer-songwriter, on par with someone like Tori Amos, for example, but who had to suffer less interest from the public, yet she has always maintained her musical line with wisdom and maturity, without compromise.

I highly recommend her, especially for those who love more introspective songs, those filled with bittersweet words, spoken with a bitter and uncertain tone, because songs like You Do, Susan, Red Vines, or Satellite are not spectacular, but they actually hide a perfect balance between catchy melody, and dense lyrics and arrangements.