Mandy Moore : Silver Landings Review, keenly awarding

Mandy Moore is an Emmy, Grammy, and Golden Globe-nominated actress, singer, and songwriter. Moore first came to national attention with her platinum-selling 1999 debut album So Real. With her sophomore effort, I Wanna Be with You arriving in 2000 and her self-titled third album released in 2001. In September of 2019, Moore announced that she signed to Verve Forecast, and now she returns to music with her first album in a decade, Silver Landings. Featuring ten songs, the album is a purposeful departure from the pop sound of her previous material. Working closely with longtime collaborator, producer Mike Viola, and her husband, Taylor Goldsmith (of folk-rock band Dawes), the album is based in the 70s inspired soft-rock to contemporary pop. Moore focused on creating the lyrics on her own and recording each song live with a full band setup.

“I’d Rather Lose” has a soft-rock beat with Moore singing a relaxed melody. The guitar parts add a tapestry of sounds, and the clean strat sound fits the mood. The chorus has full vocal backgrounds as the drums expand with a sixteenth note hi-hat pattern. Moore has a creative lyric schema, and the message and lines flow naturally. The bridge is excellent, with vocal backgrounds and Moore building in her range. The new soft-rock sound fits Moore’s vocal sound and style wonderfully.

“Fifteen” brings in elements of folk with acoustic guitars and pedal steel. Moore’s lyrics are emotional, and her lower range is emotive of the storyline. As the song progresses, subtle string sounds add support, giving the song a sense of growth. The guitar and violin interlude is a nice touch. The breakdown section builds back to the chorus. The song is relaxing without being boring, and that is a thin line to tread, and one Moore does successfully.

Silver Landings marks the start of a new sound for Moore and a new relationship with the Verve Forecast label. Moore shows she is an accomplished lyric writer and vocalist who sounds lovely in the new pop rock genre. Listening to this is an endless pleasure, with many rewarding tracks. A lady of many talents, her musical return is keenly awarding.

Mandy Moore: Website