Here’s a Grammy moment that didn’t get air time: Aimee Mann’s “Mental Illness” album won the Best Folk album at this year’s awards.
You may remember Mann from her punk days during the MTV-fueled 80s as part of the band ‘Til Tuesday and their hit “Voices Carry.”
Since those spiky-haired days, she’s gone solo and earned a dedicated following with her nine critically acclaimed and stylistically diverse albums that range from acoustic to rock – and even a gorgeous Christmas album.
Her songs for the “Magnolia” soundtrack in 1999 boosted her renown, earning Grammy and Oscar nominations, but she deserves even more listeners. She’s been hailed as one of 10 best living lyricists by NPR, and her work is forever intimate, thoughtful, and engaging.
On “Mental Illness,” the sound is soft, and the songs of real people navigating life’s challenges are sad, but always smart and heartening – this is not a big buzzkill at all. The Grammy win recognizes Mann’s gift for merging her story-telling gifts with tunes that are delightfully impossible to get out of your head – the very best kind of ear worms.
– Janet Siroto
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