| Mental Illness | ||||
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | March 31, 2017 (2017-03-31) | |||
| Genre | Folk | |||
| Length | 38:29 | |||
| Label | SuperEgo | |||
| Producer | Paul Bryan | |||
| Aimee Mann chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Mental Illness | ||||
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Mental Illness is the ninth studio album by the American singer-songwriterAimee Mann, released on March 31 2017 by SuperEgo Records. Mann described it as her "saddest, slowest and most acoustic" album.[1][2] It won the 2018Grammy Award for Best Folk Album.
The album title was suggested by a friend; Mann said it was a "bald, accurate and funny" description of her songwriting themes.[3] "Goose Snow Cone" was inspired by a photo of a friend's cat Mann received while on tour in Ireland.[4] "Patient Zero" was written following a meeting Mann and her husband,Michael Penn, had with the actorAndrew 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."[4]
The album features contributions byTed Leo, who collaborated with Mann on their projectthe Both.[5][6]Jonathan Coulton co-wrote "Patient Zero", "Good For Me" and "Rollercoasters", whileJohn Roderick ofthe Long Winters cowrote "Poor Judge".[7][8]
The bulk of the album was recorded on Mann's label, SuperEgo Records, by producerPaul Bryan at Mayberry PCH recording studio. The string arrangements were arranged and conducted by Bryan and recorded separately atUnited 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."[9]
The first single from the album, "Goose Snow Cone", was released on January 17, 2017.[1][2][10] On March 27, 2017, Mann performed the song onThe Late Show with Stephen Colbert.[11][dead link] "Patient Zero" was released on March 8, 2017.[12][6] The music video features actorsBradley Whitford,Tim Heidecker andJames Urbaniak.[12] The cover artwork was created by Andrea Dezsö.[13]
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AnyDecentMusic? | 7.9/10[14] |
| Metacritic | 84/100[15] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [16] |
| Chicago Tribune | [17] |
| Consequence of Sound | A−[18] |
| The Independent | [19] |
| The Irish Times | [20] |
| Mojo | [21] |
| Pitchfork | 7.8/10[22] |
| Q | [23] |
| Record Collector | [24] |
| Uncut | 9/10[25] |
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.[18] Ryan Bray fromConsequence of Sound defined it as the musical "equivalent of washing your mouth out with soap" and stated that it "smacks of cold reality".[18]
Ryan Reed fromRolling Stone magazine described it as "sad and folky".[1] Katie Rife fromThe A.V. Club pointed out thatMental Illness is a continuation of Aimee Mann's historic tradition of chronicling life's disappointments, both simple and profound.[6]Mojo writer James McNair described it as "intimate and reflective" and said that it is "easy to get lost in".[21] Steve Horowitz ofPopMatters wrote that "Mann is our modern dayDory Previn, whose whip-smart sensibility suggests intelligence and mania at the same time."[26] Craig Dorfman ofPaste declared that "Mann has earned her reputation as a master songwriter".[27]Jon Pareles ofThe New York Times stated that onMental Illness Mann is "Tunefully Tracing Elegant Despair".[28]
Maura Johnston ofThe Boston Globe wrote that "Mann crafts a melancholic atmosphere that is worth repeated listens."[29]Greg Kot of theChicago Tribune declared it as one of Mann's "sparest, quietest albums and also among her most beautiful".[17] Allan Raible ofABC 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 withMental Illness "Aimee Mann continues to be one of the most gripping storytellers writing music today".[30] Dw. Dunphy of Popdose notes that, while the music inMental 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."[31] On January 28, 2018 the album won theGrammy Award for Best Folk Album.[32] It also won Best American Roots & Folk Album at the 2018 A2IM Libera Awards.[33]
Mann announced the tour, along with the album itself, on January 17, 2017.[5][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.[34] Along with Mann herself, the tour featuredJonathan Coulton on acoustic guitar, Jay Bellerose on drums, a string quartet, Jamie Edwards on piano, andPaul Bryan on bass while singing backup vocals. Many of the musicians who played on the album also joined Mann on the tour.[35][36]
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 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".
Amy Wickman, Gina Kronstadt, Terry Glenny, Radu Piepta and Susan Chatman
Aaron Oltman and Rodney Wirtz
John Krovoza and Peggy Baldwin
| Chart (2017) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[38] | 112 |
| German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[39] | 69 |
| Irish Albums (IRMA)[40] | 33 |
| New Zealand Heatseekers Albums (RMNZ)[41] | 6 |
| Scottish Albums (OCC)[42] | 36 |
| Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[43] | 70 |
| UK Albums (OCC)[44] | 53 |
| USBillboard 200[45] | 54 |
