It's always good to see a pop artist mature, and to find an album that's actually an improvement on the one before. Mandy Moore's self-titled second album hits all the right notes, demonstrating that this young pop artist is here to stay. And a good thing too!
A good mix of soft ballads and edgy pop numbers, "Mandy Moore" stands out because of a number of tracks: the edgily-funky "In My Pocket", the very hummable "Crush", and the surprisingly-catchy "17". "Saturate Me", with its unique sound, is also a pleasant surprise, as are the dance beats of "Yo-Yo". Moore's voice complements most of the songs well, and the lyrics, while suprisingly inane in places, do occassionally showcase her depth and growing maturity.
Worth checking out, if only to see the one of the new faces of pop music.
This article was first published on24 Sep 2001.