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Album Description
Singer, Mandy Moore will release her new, highly anticipated album, Wild Hope, on June 19. Recorded at Allaire Studios in Woodstock, NY, Wild Hope epitomizes a labor of love and showcases Moore's foray into songwriting. In collaboration with a slew of critically acclaimed singer-songwriters such as Rachael Yamagata, The Weepies, Lori McKenna, among others, the result of this two year endeavor is an organic, folk album with pop sensibilities boasting beautifully constructed melodies, compelling vocals and sophisticated lyrical content.

Amazon.com
Back in the 1990s, when Mandy Moore was still trying to outmaneuver fellow junior glamazons Britney, Jessica, and Christina up the pop charts, the best song she was able to pull from her bag of tricks was "Candy," a tune that was way more Twizzler than Starburst. Cut to 2007: Moore, a respected Hollywood actress (never mind the Diane Keaton dud Because I Said So), has made a record that reflects the artist that--against some heavy odds--she's become. Wild Hope, co-written with the cred-conferring team of Rachael Yamagata, Lori McKenna, and the Weepies, should earn her a spot on adult-alternative radio alongside format regulars Dar Williams, Sarah McLachlan, and Jonatha Brooke. Its songs, like the achy "Gardenia," sung over a gently plunked piano, aim at confession and clarity: "I'm the one who likes to make love on the floor," the chorus reminds a vacant-eyed lover. Earlier, on first single "Extraordinary," Moore pours her rich, country-rubbed, Anna Nalick-like vocals into self-scrutiny and renewal: "I was a starling, nobody's darling/Now I'm ready to be extraordinary," she sings. Talent will be Moore's ticket to the transformation she's going for--no wild hoping necessary. --Tammy La Gorce

More Mandy Moore

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Coverage

Mandy Moore

I Wanna Be with You

Customer Reviews: Read 98 more reviews...

5 out of 5 stars

Mandy has shown amazing growth June 19, 2007
44 out of 48 found this review helpful

I feel like I listened to a different album than the other two reviewers so far did. Mandy Moore started out with So Real, an album that even Mandy admits she didn't like. On that album, she was just another Britney clone, without as many guilty pleasures. The CD I Wanna Be With You featured the title ballad that was a departure, but the CD was pretty much the same. The self-titled album showed growth with some good hooks, but Mandy's vocal maturation wasn't complete. Coverage showed her able to tackle some classic songs. Now, on Wild Hope, Mandy has made a gem of a CD that has confident vocals and sparkling folk/pop songs. Her voice can sound higher on "Extraordinary," or lower and soulful on "Nothing That You Are" and "Few Days Down." Collaborating with acclaimed artists like The Weepies, Chantal Kreviazuk, and Lori McKenna has helped Mandy form her own sound. An album that's a bit comparable is Jewel's Spirit, but Wild Hope is a bit more classic pop than that CD. Mandy manages to create artistic songs that also have strong melodies. The melodies might not all be radio friendly, but listen enough and you will be humming the songs. "Wild Hope," really pure folk, just might be my favorite song. Mandy has really surprised me with this amazing CD!

4 out of 5 stars

Will Go Down As An Underrated Pop Gem June 21, 2007
27 out of 32 found this review helpful

Mandy Moore's musical career has always taken an odd trajectory. Back at the turn of the century, she was one of several teen popsters trying to make a dent on the charts and compete with Britney and Christina. The sad truth was Moore always came in fourth(yes, even behind Jessica Simpson), largely due to the fact that there was always something so earnest about her personality that betrayed the manufactured pop she was shilling(and has since disowned). And that's not to say it was all bad either--"Candy" was one of the better assembly line hits of that time, and to this day her 2001 set remains the classiest teen pop album released in the last decade(and better than anything Britney, Christina, or Jessica have released to date). Nevertheless, Moore took a drastic detour with 2003's COVERAGE, a rather ambitious set of remakes that on a whole was respectable but nothing extraordinary. WILD HOPE is a natural extension of that album, as Moore continues to release her inner singer-songwriter, this time with help from several musicians( most notably Lori McKenna and Chantal Kreviazuk). The results are more often than not fantastic, with some probably comparing it to Joni Mitchell or even Sheryl Crow, but to me more reminiscent of Jewel's last album or even her THIS WAY set. The album is nicely balanced between midtempo tracks and piano ballads(highlights include "Extraordinary", "All Good Things", "Few Days Down" and the the strangely Fleetwood Mac-sounding "Nothing That You Are"), all pulled together by John Alagia's clean production and Moore's increasingly mature vocal work. Considering Moore's previous chart success(or lack thereof), this will probably be well regarded by the press but overlooked by music buyers, which is a shame because it's one of the best things going in pop music right now.

5 out of 5 stars

This Was Worth Waiting For June 24, 2007
27 out of 30 found this review helpful

Some of the reviews for "Wild Hope" are ridiculously divisive and, frankly, I don't see the need for it. People should step back, take a breath, and remember that musical tastes (for both artists and listeners) change over time, and Mandy Moore is no exception. I personally love her old stuff, and it still plays regularly in my deck, but "Wild Hope" has earned it's place there, as well. Instead of comparing this offering with her older collection, it is necessary to examine it in it's own right. Many people are decrying that they expected 'more', be that lyrically, vocally, or in terms of maturation. Mandy Moore is twenty-three years old, not forty. I think "Wild Hope" speaks volumes of where she is in her life right now, and I'm grateful to be along for the ride.

The bottom line: Moore is a superior vocalist compared to most of her contemporaries and manages to make even the weakest songs shine. Her previous CDs were littered with both gems and a few clinkers. Fortunately, there are no weak songs on this album. Perhaps people are reacting to the genre or another nebulous construct, but I consider this to be very fitting with my view of who Mandy is (and BTW, I have no problems understanding her vocals - a lyric sheet is unnecessary). Every note is infused with gentle passion, her interpretation belies her years, and I find her writing interesting and provocative without being shameless or melodramatic. Standout tracks include the much-heralded 'Gardenia', 'Looking Forward to Looking Back', 'Slummin' in Paradise', and the title track. If you like Moore, you'll like this, provided you accept that she's an actual person with thoughts and opinions, and not a mindless corporate drone. This has been in my player 24/7 for almost a week and will undoubtedly stay there for the foreseeable future.

3 out of 5 stars

She Grew Up June 19, 2007
11 out of 19 found this review helpful

Mandy Moore was just one of many Teen-pop singers like Jessica Simpson, Christina Aguilera and Britney Spears making sugar sweet pop music like "Candy", "I Wanna Be With You" and "In My Pocket". But all of them chose diffrent paths. Jessica seems to be still doing pop, Britney flirted with R&B and Christina made an exprimental retro soul album. Mandy Moore was never as popular as the others and maybe cause of that reason it was easier for here to abandon that kind of music for good. Her third real album from 2003 was called "Coverage" where she would be singing cover versions of classic folk/rock music from Joni Mitchell, Cat Stevens and Carol King etc. The album itself didn't sell that well but got great reviews and it was completely diffrent from her first 2 albums. Now 4 years later Mandy's is back, she's been making a few films also and it's obvious that her Teen-Pop past is long gone. "Wild Hope" as this album is called, is suppostely a mix between Folk/Rock and it seems like she's been listening alot of Joni Mitchell lately. Infact, Mandy also co-wrote all of the songs of this album, already a step forward in her artistic development. So How does this album measure up? Read on to find out.

"Wild Hope" was produced by John Alagia who's been producing albums for mostly Rock artists. As I already mentioned it's a mix between Folk/Rock and it's mostly midtempos with thoughtful lyrics about love, life and herself. Mandy Co-Wrote all songs on this album, and among her collaborators we find talented Rachael Yamagata and Chantal Kreviazuk. Mandy deserves credit for her lyrics and for it's autobiographical context, but let's be honest. Would you check this out if it wasn't a Mandy Moore album?. I wouldn't. It would probably be lost somewhere in the middle of the Singer/Songwriter ocean. Some songs here are pretty good like "Extraordinary" her first single. A song with sweet melody that deals with self esteem and archiving what you want in life. "Slummin' In Paradise" is another decent song and so is the breakup song "Looking Forward To Looking Back", presumably about her relationship with Andy Roddick and ditto with the touching piano ballad "Gardenia" that sounds Elton John inspired. The title track "Wild Hope" really is folk, while "Latest Mistake" sounds alot like Vanessa Carlton. However, the definite standout here is called "Nothing That You Are" but ironically it's closer to Kelly Clarkson rock then folk music, but it does have a great hook and undeniable melody apart from alot of songs here, which kind of is the problem with "Wild Hope". As artistic and fascinating some lyrics may be, it lacks good and memorable enough hooks to be interesting all the way. Many songs goes into one ear and out of the other, and even after several listens they don't feel that interesting. This album is alright and won't bother or upset anyone. Thus, credit to Mandy must be given for her artistic development from Teen-pop artist to something more grown up and serious, but the question is: Will this album interest enough people? Cause it's really quite ordinary.

1 out of 5 stars

Growing up isn't all it's cracked up to be June 20, 2007
11 out of 33 found this review helpful

Let it be known, "Wild Hope" was [or is] being billed as Mandy's first original album in years, and not only that, it is considered to be the first accurate portrayal of her persona as a musician and a vocalist. Well, I'll be straight with you, if this is Mandy Moore's real persona, then get me back to the fake corporate one because this album is pretty much boring as hell. I realize that's EXTREMELY simplistic for a critic to say, but there's no real way around it.

I'd like to give a shout out to the musicians involved in producing this album: you are all incredible set performers. I enjoyed the strings and bass tracks more than anything, the keyboard was solid, and for pop music, the guitar work was nothing to laugh at. In the most essential words, you guys rock and I hope you can find a real musician to front you or maybe even make your own band. I just have to say this, because I'm ALWAYS impressed by the work of studio musicians, you guys are the only reason this album even sounds somewhat polished.

And here in is the real issue with "Wild Hope", it is filled with lush instrumentation and it is all real music. However, real music doesn't make someone a real musician. Robert Plant could be singing with a polka band and a cheap Casio keyboard behind him and he'd still blow your mind. Frank Sinatra doesn't even need music to melt your face off. There is something artificial, something just not right about "Wild Hope", and it's hard to pin down.

Reviewing an album like Wild Hope is especially hard, because there's nothing essentially wrong with the music, but it's nothing special either. I've heard it before, I've seen it before, pretty much everything is laid out in front of you and there's no effort at all to make you stand on your feet or leave you in a state of complete amazement. What's worse is, the element you expect to shine, falls flat on its face. I'm sorry, Mandy, but while I have said many times before that you are an amazing vocalist, nothing on this album proves me right.

Maybe this is Mandy's idea of what a good vocalist is supposed to sound like, but she comes off sounding like an American Idol reject. Pretty much every single female pop vocalist on the market right now sounds about the same or better than Mandy Moore, and it's a shame because deep down inside there is a killer voice. However, Mandy Moore traded in her natural inflections, her unique delivery, for by the books moans, falsettos, and power vocals. What used to be a sweet, delicate, yet raw and powerful voice, becomes nothing more extraordinary than your finalists at an "Idol" audition.

Lyrically, like technically, the album is not flawed. Yet there is nothing here, in terms of writing, that will change the face of American music or contemporary society. In fact, if I were to browse Myspace for poetry or lyric sheets, I would find much better writing. The real problem is that Mandy has been out of the spotlight so long that it is impossible for the listener to connect with her. The lyrics are written in the most selfish point of view, alienating the listener if he or she never experienced that exact moment. Whenever allegory or symbolism is used, it is the type of imagery that only a certain few can connect to, not universal or easy to approach.

What's worse is that Moore's vocals [that used to be crisp, clear, and amazingly easy to understand] become lost in the music and sometimes without a lyric sheet, it is hard to keep up with what she is saying. And strangely, for someone who is always going on about her womanhood or how much she has grown, the lyrics are oddly more juvenile..in that frustrated Hot Topic sort of way.

"Moore" [sorry, couldn't help it] than anything, Mandy Moore promised this would be real music, and the critics who had first listens all said it was absolutely amazing. Well, guess what? Even the opening theme from Pokemon is real music: all music is real. Absolutely amazing? Not even in the most slight, off base definition of amazing. Nothing separates this album from your run of the mill Kelly Clarkson production or Natasha Bedingfield's latest effort.

In fact, what's sad is that vocalist beneath Moore, are able to work within their limits and surprise the listener. Hilary Duff's "Dignity" and Avril Lavigne's "The Best Damn Thing" are perfect examples of this. I've always believed in Hilary, but I'll be the first to tell you I down right HATE Avril Lavigne. Yet Avril Lavigne's album has some truly amazing pop songs on it, and packs a punch with surprising, completely unexpected ballads.

In a Elle magazine interview, Mandy Moore was "honest" [in her perception] to tell us she's not the BEST vocalist, the best performer. Here's the actual quote:

"I'm mediocre at both. I'm not trying to be self-deprecating. I'm just being honest."

Well, Mandy, I disagreed with you when I read it for the first time. If "Wild Hope" was your attempt at proving yourself right, then the album by all means is a success, because now I fully agree with you. To anyone reading this review, don't let yourself be swept away by the hype. Just because someone says it's "real" or "amazing" doesn't mean it is: listen to your all time favorite albums, listen to your most respected performers, and then compare, you'll see what I've been saying throughout this entire review.

"Wild Hope" is a disappointment in every single possible way. It is not technically flawed, but it is lacking more soul and is more artificial than even the most manufactured Hannah Montana song. At the very least though, angsty sexed up dramas on The CW and chick flicks have an appropriate soundtrack for a few years to come. Not to mention, wanna be intellectuals have something to shuffle - repeat on their iPod while they sip on their overpriced Starbucks.

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