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Mental Illness (album)

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Mental Illness
Studio album by
Aimee Mann
ReleasedMarch 31, 2017 (2017-03-31)
GenreFolk
Length38:29
LabelSuperEgo
ProducerPaul Bryan
Aimee Mann chronology
Charmer
(2012) 		Mental Illness
(2017) 		Queens of the Summer Hotel
(2021)
Singles from Mental Illness
  1. "Goose Snow Cone"
    Released: January 17, 2017
  2. "Patient Zero"
    Released: March 8, 2017

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.

Recording

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"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]

Release

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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]

Artwork

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The album's cover artwork is by visual artist Andrea Dezsö.[12]

Critical reception

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Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
AnyDecentMusic?7.9/10[13]
Metacritic84/100[14]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[15]
Chicago Tribune[16]
Consequence of SoundA−[17]
The Independent[18]
The Irish Times[19]
Mojo[20]
Pitchfork7.8/10[21]
Q[22]
Record Collector[23]
Uncut9/10[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]

Tour

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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]

Awards and nominations

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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]

Track listing

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No.TitleLength
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".

Personnel

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String section

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Quartet

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Violins

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Amy Wickman, Gina Kronstadt, Terry Glenny, Radu Piepta and Susan Chatman

Violas

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Aaron Oltman and Rodney Wirtz

Cello

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John Krovoza and Peggy Baldwin

Charts

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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

References

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  1. ^ a b c d Reed, Ryan (January 18, 2017). "Aimee Mann Details Her 'Saddest, Slowest' New LP, 'Mental Illness'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved March 22, 2017.
  2. ^ a b c Roberts, Randall (January 17, 2017). "'The saddest, slowest, most acoustic' record: Aimee Mann announces a new album". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved March 22, 2017.
  3. ^ a b c Locker, Melissa (March 30, 2017). "Aimee Mann Talks About Her New Album, Mental Illness". Elle. Retrieved April 1, 2017.
  4. ^ a b Yoo, Noah (January 17, 2017). "Aimee Mann Announces Mental Illness, First New Album in Five Years". Pitchfork. Retrieved March 22, 2017.
  5. ^ a b c Rife, Katie (January 17, 2017). "Aimee Mann is back and bummed out as ever on her new album Mental Illness". The A.V. Club. Retrieved March 22, 2017.
  6. ^ Hirway, Hrisikesh (April 21, 2017). "Episode 103 – Aimee Mann". Song Exploder. Retrieved April 23, 2017.
  7. ^ Phillips, Lior (March 23, 2017). "The Simple Fix: Aimee Mann on Laughing Through Melancholy". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved April 26, 2017.
  8. ^ Roberts, Randall (March 30, 2017). "Aimee Mann on how she allowed herself to 'roll around' in the biggest stereotype about her music". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved May 17, 2018.
  9. ^ Aimee Mann – Goose Snow Cone (Official Audio) on YouTube
  10. ^ Aimee Mann Performs 'Goose Snow Cone' on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert on YouTube
  11. ^ a b Aimee Mann – Patient Zero on YouTube
  12. ^ Aimee Mann [@aimeemann] (January 17, 2017). "The cover art is by an amazing artist named @andidezso. So lucky to be able to work with someone so wonderful" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  13. ^ "Mental Illness by Aimee Mann reviews". AnyDecentMusic?. Retrieved September 14, 2019.
  14. ^ "Reviews and Tracks for Mental Illness by Aimee Mann". Metacritic. Retrieved September 14, 2019.
  15. ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Mental Illness – Aimee Mann". AllMusic. Retrieved September 14, 2019.
  16. ^ a b Kot, Greg (March 31, 2017). "Aimee Mann's crazy, beautiful songs on 'Mental Illness'". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved April 1, 2017.
  17. ^ a b c Bray, Ryan (March 21, 2017). "Aimee Mann – Mental Illness". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved March 21, 2017.
  18. ^ Gill, Andy (March 29, 2017). "Album reviews: Bob Dylan – Triplicate, Rachael Yamagata – Tightrope Walker, Take That – Wonderland, and more". The Independent. Archived from the original on May 12, 2022. Retrieved September 14, 2019.
  19. ^ Clayton-Lea, Tony (March 30, 2017). "Aimee Mann – Mental Illness: solitude, sadness and how love can drive you demented". The Irish Times. Retrieved September 14, 2019.
  20. ^ a b McNair, James (March 23, 2017). "Aimee Mann – Mental Illness". Mojo. Retrieved March 23, 2017.
  21. ^ Walters, Barry (April 1, 2017). "Aimee Mann: Mental Illness". Pitchfork. Retrieved September 14, 2019.
  22. ^ Blake, Mark (June 2017). "State of Mind". Q (372): 107.
  23. ^ Staunton, Terry (April 2017). "Aimee Mann – Mental Illness". Record Collector (465). Retrieved September 14, 2019.
  24. ^ Snapes, Laura (May 2017). "Aimee Mann: Mental Illness". Uncut (240): 35.
  25. ^ Horowitz, Steve (March 28, 2017). "Aimee Mann: Mental Illness". PopMatters. Retrieved March 31, 2017.
  26. ^ Dorfman, Craig (March 28, 2017). "Aimee Mann: Mental Illness Review". Paste. Retrieved March 31, 2017.
  27. ^ Pareles, Jon (March 29, 2017). "Aimee Mann Traces Elegant Despair on 'Mental Illness'". The New York Times. Retrieved March 31, 2017.
  28. ^ Johnston, Maura (March 30, 2017). "From Aimee Mann, laments with a lilt". The Boston Globe. Retrieved March 31, 2017.
  29. ^ Raible, Allan (April 6, 2017). "Bob Dylan, Aimee Mann, Nelly Furtado and more music reviews". ABC News. Retrieved April 8, 2017.
  30. ^ "Album Review: Aimee Mann, "Mental Illness"". Popdose. April 20, 2017. Retrieved April 20, 2017.
  31. ^ "Aimee Mann Tour Listing". Aimee Mann. Retrieved April 11, 2017.
  32. ^ "Aimee Mann". The Town Hall. Retrieved April 11, 2017.
  33. ^ Aimee Mann, live at Town Hall, New York City, April 22, 2017
  34. ^ "60th GRAMMY Awards: Full Nominees List". National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. November 28, 2017. Retrieved November 29, 2017.
  35. ^ "2018 - Libera Awards". liberaawards.com. Archived from the original on March 19, 2020.
  36. ^ "Aimee Mann's Highly Anticipated New Album 'Mental Illness' Out 3/31". Broadway World. February 28, 2017. Retrieved March 24, 2017.
  37. ^ "Ultratop.be – Aimee Mann – Mental Illness" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved April 21, 2017.
  38. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Aimee Mann – Mental Illness" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved April 7, 2017.
  39. ^ "Irish Albums Chart: 7 April 2017". Irish Recorded Music Association. Retrieved April 8, 2017.
  40. ^ "NZ Heatseekers Albums Chart". Recorded Music NZ. April 10, 2017. Retrieved April 7, 2017.
  41. ^ 7, 2017/40/ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved April 8, 2017.
  42. ^ "Swisscharts.com – Aimee Mann – Mental Illness". Hung Medien. Retrieved April 12, 2017.
  43. ^ 7, 2017/7502/ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved April 8, 2017.
  44. ^ "Aimee Mann Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved April 11, 2017.
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