Aimee Mann, 'Whatever'

Break up’s, by their very nature, are messy. Especially when broken hearts and unrequited love spill out onto a record. Aimee Mann’s debut solo release, ‘Whatever’, may not be the first, nor last, break up record but it’s up there with the best.

It details the end of her relationship – romantically and professionally – with singer/songwriter Jules Shear. There’s an immediate irony at work as the album’s title indicates a detached air, a shrug of the shoulders if you will, rather than the pain normally associated with the end of the (romantic) road. The opening words are “I should thank you almost”, a lyrical paradox in keeping with the album title and rest of the record itself. Unsurprisingly, the track is called ‘I Should’ve Known’ and, when heard, is followed by the words, “that it was coming down to this”. Barely a minute later, Mann is telling us “Rome was starting to fall”. Ask yourself: would you want to be Mr. Shear at this point?

Truth be told, bitterness is pretty much put to one side as a more subtle song writing approach takes over. Certainly, Mann is using the record as an effective method of therapy (‘Could’ve Been Anyone’, ‘Put Me On Top’, ‘Stupid Thing’, ‘I Could Hurt You Now’) but, as with all the great records, you can hear many varied topics at work. ‘Whatever’ manages to deals with America in a bygone era (’50 Years After The Fair’, ‘Way Back When’, ‘4th Of July’) contains a bookish nod to Charles Dickens (‘Jacob Marley’s Chain’) and can also point to an optimistic future (“I Know There’s A Word’). The record mixes electric guitar with acoustic to stunning effect. Mann’s voice, just nudging its way past timid, remains somewhat fragile but is never less than captivating. And does she ever have a way with words: each track contains golden nuggets with the remarkable ‘4th Of July’ offering up surely the finest opening lyrics about the day in question (“Today’s the 4th of July/Another June has gone by/And when they light up our town/I think what a waste of gunpowder and sky”).

This is the sound of a woman picking up the pieces and getting on with her life. But, if the point needed hammering home, Mann doesn’t require our sympathy. Returning to that opening track reveals that, despite the evident anger and recriminations, she’ll be just fine. “And I don’t know what else you hear, but it ain’t the sound of me weeping”.