Mandy Moore

Mandy Moore does grownup better than any of her former teen queen peers -- and we're not just talking about her drama-free personal life. Amanda Leigh pays elegant tribute to her favorite singer-songwriters: There's shades of Paul McCartney on "I Could Break Your Heart"; "Indian Summer" is Todd Rundgren-meets-James Taylor; and Joni Mitchell is everywhere -- except Moore's voice. That instrument, while lovely, still has the slightly showy, belty quality that's de rigeur for teen queens of her era. So think of this album as less Blue and more Blue: The Musical!.

The title is taken from the singer's real first and middle names, the acoustic instrumentation
emits a cozy campfire glow, and the album was recorded in a modest basement home
studio. Message: This is real music, not computerized starlet pop. Listeners are advised to
ignore the authenticity issues and focus on Moore's catchy tunes and warm voice on
Amanda Leigh. Co-writing with producer Mike Viola, she swings from folk-rock c... More >