CD Review: Mandy Moore's Wild Hope

By Michael Cartwright: 2007-06-18 18:16:57

In 1999, Mandy Moore began her career as one of the premier pop princesses. Her debut album So Real was lambasted by critics (and anyone over the age of 14) who considered it to be a bit too sweet and anything but real. In an effort to combat criticism, Moore decided to release a remixed version of So Real entitled I Wanna Be With You, but it was met with equally disappointing results.

In the past eight years, Moore has released a remix album, a CD of cover songs and two compilation records. Apart from So Real, her only true release was a self-titled disc that was rightfully torn apart in 2001 for being the banal bubble-gum garbage heap that it was.

While the former pop princess has since used her tiara to spark a much more admirable acting career, she recently stated she missed singing and wanted to return to the studio.

OK, Mandy. Fair enough. Now everyone, please raise your hand if you actually care … OK fine. Now everyone, please raise your hand if you actually care AND have a driver‘s license … Nobody? Yep, that’s what I thought.

In 2006, in regard to her earlier albums, Moore said, "I feel bad that people wasted their money on such trite, blah pop music."

Wow. Thanks so much for your sympathy Miss Moore. She is appearing honest and regretful, but is she also implying her newest album won’t suck? Probably not, but if she plans on abandoning her bubble-gum roots, who the hell is left to care? How many young adults will even be able tell the difference between Mandy’s mature and immature pop, really?

We’re just left hoping that Wild Hope isn’t a thinly veiled version of every other album she’s ever released.

(As you can see, I am trying to put off actually reviewing the album for as long as possible. Why? It’s simple. Reviewing an album has never been more painful, and well, taking shots at Candy Mandy is much more fun, but I must put pleasure aside for a second and get down to business.)

On "Extraordinary," Moore actually sums up her musical journey and aspirations somewhat well: "I was a starling/nobody’s darling/and now I’m ready to be extraordinary."

On top of that, the country rock jam "The Latest Mistake" is surprisingly tolerable, and "Gardenia" is a folksy little number that doesn’t make me wish I were elsewhere, which is all one can really ask of a Mandy Moore album.

Regardless, the shining moments on this album are sparse. One can’t begin to pick apart the negatives of the dull numbers because they more or less sound the same.

Bottom line: Even though Wild Hope is probably Mandy’s strongest release to date, she should stick to doing Neutrogena commercials and her latest boy toy.

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Anonymous Mandy Moore Fan
June 19, 2007 at 01:01

What is wrong with you?! Have you even listened to "Mandy Moore", the self titled third album? It wasn't labeled as bubblegum crap, it was actually well respected, lots of magazines gave it good reviews. Read Slant Magazine and Rolling Stones reviews: it got a good 3/5 most everywhere.

Also, Candy was a certified hit, and while most people found the album So Real disappointing: Candy was quite loved, as was "I Wanna Be With You", which is kind of a standard at proms and slow dances these days.

But I agree with you completely about Wild Hope, Coverage, etc. especially this album, Mandy Moore is so quick to diss her old fans and her history, and it's actually quite disgusting to see someone act so ungrateful to her fanbase. And as for her claims that "Wild Hope" is real music? It's all crap, maybe one or two songs are good but the rest is BORING.

and this is coming from a Mandy Moore fan.

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Matt
June 19, 2007 at 21:55

You never liked Mandy to begin with. No one should even think about this review. Wild Hope is a folk/pop gem, BTW!

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Matthew
June 20, 2007 at 22:53

The first poster was correct; Mandy Moore's third, self-titled album was actually given a good deal of acclaim, with many reviewers praising her for going outside of the standard bubblegum box. Most reviewers made comments to the effect that while there was no big standout hit, it was a solid pop album, through and through.

This reviewer clearly just has a good deal of disdain for Mandy's musical career. Her latest, Wild Hope, is a very good album. It's certainly not for everyone, or going to light up the pop charts, but it's a respectable, solid album.

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Greg
June 23, 2007 at 09:54

Who can judge someone on their past? She was 14....I wonder if anyone can say they made the best decisions of their lives at that age? She's an adult now and really taking an interest in doing something real, And I applaud her for going out on a limb for her passion.

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Vanessa
June 23, 2007 at 10:57

The the first poster, I don't think Mandy was dissing her fanbase.. besides, this album is aimed not towards her earlier fans, but to a more adult/mature teenager audience.. I can't say that many people who thought her early albums were the best thing known to pop will enjoy Wild Hope, although I did.. I don't think it's boring, rather a lot more mature-sounding.

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Anonymous
June 29, 2007 at 00:43

I just have to say, I'm glad you actually added a review of the cd at the end becuase I was begining to wonder when all the bashing was going to end. I wanted a more detailed music review, I didn't want to hear how much you don't like someone you don't personally know.

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BEN
September 27, 2007 at 23:52

LOVE it. I feel like in this album, Mandy has finally found herself and came up with her own style of music that truly proves her growth as an artist.

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Vanesa
February 24, 2008 at 15:28

I grew up listening to Mandy Moore. \"I Wanna Be With You\" was the first CD I ever bought with my own cash. And me being what...a seven, eight, nine? year old at that time, I was very fond of that type of music back then. Fast-forward, I\'m now fifteen, and Wild Hope is by far, her BEST album. It\'s superiorly soothing, and its got catchy hooks in alot of the songs. Mandy has finally found her zone in music. =)

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Diosa
July 29, 2008 at 13:41

THIS CRITIC IS A BIAS!!!
Yeah right! Critics will be citics!
They will ditched the artist as long as they could, they don\'t even listen first to the album that was supposedly to be reviewed.
As I was starting to read his review I knew from the start that he hates Mandy and in the whole review I say that he really hates her.
What mostly critics do is they will reminise first the artist past album and works and started to prove how much they hate the artist without even knowing what they are suppose to do is to stick their deaf ear to the speaker and listen carefully what the song is really all about and what the artist is trying to say through her music.
To all critics: Remember that music is also a way of how the artist expresses their emotion.
So I\'m always asking \"DO CRITICS REALLY HAVE AN EAR TO LISTEN TOO AND A BRAIN THAT REALLY WORKS?\" I DON\'T THINK SO!

I am also an artist so I am able to appreciate music unlike this critic who deosn\'t seemed to know what music is all about.

Wild Hope is such an incredible album. It is brilliantly done. A showcase of her talent as a songwriter and a singer. Its a full showcase of what she gone through in the past few years. The album is how she wanted to be \"extraordinary\" lyrically, emotionally and as a person. While listening to the songs on the album makes me felt how to be in her position after all she gone through.
Its sad Wild Hope didn\'t make it to the final list of Grammy nominee\'s because of lack of album sales.

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