The Both
The Both

THE REVIEW

I hope the good Ted Leo will forgive me if it's practically impossible for me not to consider this "The Both" as an Aimee Mann album in every respect, and after all, the genre offered (American pop rock with folk/country nuances) is definitely closer to the background of the blonde singer-songwriter from Richmond than to that (punk/alternative rock) of her male counterpart, who, I admit candidly, is completely unknown to me. As for Aimee, after a brilliant performance like "Fuckin' Smilers," there's a definite step back with "Charmer" from 2012, an album that's a bit cumbersome and not particularly inspired, undoubtedly the worst (still respectable, to avoid misunderstandings) of her splendid career, while in "The Both" we find the intense, brilliant, and proactive Aimee as always. The collaboration with friend Ted Leo has therefore done her a world of good and has resulted in a beautiful album that stands out for a perfect and impeccable team play between the two artists.

Heads or tails? The coin lands perfectly on its side, Aimee and Ted support each other, splitting the vocal parts and the songwriting work evenly, with perfect harmony and an excellent final result. Compared to Aimee Mann's recent "solo" works, in "The Both," bass and electric guitar play a much more central role, undoubtedly thanks to Ted Leo, as a new pop rock verve restores the momentum and consistency that had somewhat been lost in "Charmer." Ted's pleasant and linear vocals, somewhat reminiscent of Elvis Costello, are a delightful counterpoint that perfectly blends with her splendid counterpart, which, as the years pass, is acquiring an increasingly warm, deep, and sensual timbre. The perfect blend between the two voices is another strength of this project, integrating with absolute naturalness without compromising the fluidity of the songs and adding further character and personality to the album.

"The Both" is honest, catchy, and captivating, full of great songs in pure Aimee Mann style; above all, a splendid and engaging "Milwaukee" that ideally presents itself as the heir to her iconic first single "Fifty Years After The Fair," the sound is a bit more elaborate, the songwriting richer and more mature, but the imprint remains unchanged, unmistakable, with the same freshness, enthusiasm, and zest for life. This is not the only instance where one gets the feeling of facing an artist who is looking to her past, sweet and tormented ballads like "You Can't Help Me Now" and "No Sir" bring back the atmospheres of "The Forgotten Arm," while "Hummingbird" seems to come from the sessions of "Bachelor No.2," and its semi-acoustic, understated, and cerebral charm has nothing to envy the best moments of that splendid album.

Ted Leo also brings his own contributions, among the tracks that feature him as the main voice, the incisive and compelling guitar-driven mid-tempo "The Gambler", which opens the album with excellent momentum, stands out, as well as "The Prisoner", an evocative rock ballad with a classic American sound reminiscent of "into the great wide open" with more refined and allegorical songwriting; a mix of simplicity and sophistication is also found in "Bedtime Story", where Aimee and Ted divide the scene equally, which with a very clean and informal pop rock sound manages to be one of the most successful and suggestive episodes of the work. Unfortunately, "The Both" cannot be considered a perfect album; some moments that aim to be light and ironic, like "Pay For It", "Honesty Is No Excuse" and "The Inevitable Shove", lack incisiveness and "break" an otherwise fluid and impeccable discourse.

"The Both" is a beautiful album that certainly deserves a listen, but it essentially doesn't change the current situation of Aimee Mann: she is and will always remain a splendid singer-songwriter, but this album implicitly confirms that she no longer has anything new to say. Of course, she is still capable of writing beautiful songs, but her stylistic range is now limited and predictable; to express herself at her best, she must draw on her past, in some cases (like this) yielding good results, in others decidedly not. The collaboration with Ted Leo certainly helped her to bring out the best in herself, but the thought remains that a hypothetical solo album of hers would have been a new and inconclusive "Charmer." In any case, I trust Aimee; she is an intelligent woman, and whatever her path from here onwards, it won't overshadow in the slightest the good, indeed extraordinary, she's done in the past, and she will always have my admiration, affection, and infinite credit.