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Song Title Time Price 3:58 $0.99 Visit our audio page for more information Limited edition book packaging of her 2008 album, Aimee's seventh solo release to date. The album is a return to form after the artistic detours of 2005's concept album The Forgotten Arm and 2006's Christmas CD One More Drifter in the Snow. Featuring thirteen new original songs, producer Paul Bryan describes the record as "deceptively powerfulvery rich and grand-sounding." The songs range from the stripped-down-to-basics of "Columbus Avenue," to the almost Cars-esque synth-pop of "Freeway," alongside the classic Jimmy Webb/Glen Campbell-era "Phoenix," and the hushed creepiness of "Little Tornado." The final song "Ballantines" is a duet with Sean Hayes complete with barroom piano and trombone section. All songs were penned by Mann with the exception of "True Believer" which was co-written with fellow singer-songwriter Grant Lee Phillips. Yeah, I'm a big fan of Aimee Mann - but not a huge fan of '@#%&*! Smilers' ......and you just know I want to be. Something about it isn't pulling me in. Yes, there are certain songs I really like and play over and over, but then it hits a certain track or tracks an my interest wanes. That can't be good - right? I keep reading reviews (not the amazon ones, but trade publications) that say it is her best album yet - and I keep wondering 'what am I missing here?'. Sure she switched it up a bit - gone are the electric guitars and more moogs, wurlitzers and strings, but that's not making it a better album. To be fair, those items are not making it a worse one either. Actually, the synths make the disk have some 'Lost in Space' tendencies - not such a bad thing since I like that disk a lot. While there are really good songs on the disk, there is something on here I never expected: throw away songs. I can't think of a disk she's done (ok, maybe her debut one, 'Whatever') that had a song I would go out of my way to skip over. 'Smilers' has a few of them ("Phoenix" or "Medicine Man" anyone? - and how does the latter song intro not sound like 1976 Elton John?). Not good. I concede that some of this might grow on me over time, but I've had the disk in continual rotation for three weeks and not much is growing on me - past the keepers like "Little Tornadoes", "Freeway", "Thirty One Today", "The Great Beyond" and "Borrowing Time". I still like Mann and think that she is a more than competent singer/songwriter/musician - but this disk isn't displaying it.

@#%&*! Smilers (Special Edition) Available from Amazon Price: $15.89 Updated on 10-2-2008.