The early arrival of deep summer heat has been tempered some thanks to the release of Aimee Mann’s @#%&*! Smilers (Super Ego). The title, she explains, is a dig at smiley-faced popular culture and the people who’ve bought into it, only you provide your own curse word. While there’s a shiny pop luster to most of Smilers, dig a bit and discover Mann exploring an underclass of people searching for redemption, yet not quite finding it.
What’s different after seven solo albums is the expanded use of keyboards, which gives tunes like the hooky “Freeway” and the sprite “31 Today” a sound reminiscent of the Cars. Along with the occasional appearance of a string section and judicial use of horns, Smilers broadens her sonic palette considerably. What hasn’t changed is the singer-songwriter’s ability to compose melodies that remain long after the disc stops spinning, as well as her capacity to draw character sketches with a finesse few others can match. There’s a 1970s pop feel to Smilers, one that’s validated by swinging set closer “Ballantines.” Despite its bright colors and warm air, it’s no throwback, just one of the most refreshing listens of year. She rolls into La Zona Rosa Tuesday, June 17.
This article appears in May 30 • 2008.