I own all of her albums and have seen all of her movies and TV shows. Save A Little For Yourself is a story about not only strength but about learning to be strong and exposed, emotionally. It has a gentle and warm message in which we are reminded that all your energy will come from loving yourself and you are far better energised to help others. Highlights for Silver landings and When Wasnt Watching, I'm going 10 for this. For audiences who grew up listening to artists like Moore, it's an absolute privilege to get to experience this glimpse into who she is now and how she got there. I appreciate how refreshing it feels to listen tracks from Mandy Moore again. Whoever advised her to return to music with a more mature sound should be fired. I am still a super fan and will support her in whatever she does. Compared to that momentum, it’s easy to spot where lesser Silver Linings tracks trail off, despite the efforts of the Fleetwood Mac harmonies in “Easy Target.” Tracks like “Tryin’ My Best, Los Angeles” and “Stories Reminding Myself Of Me” ask their titles to do too much of the lyrical heavy lifting, endless repetition struggling to push the songs across. ". An album that is Gold! (I’m not including Pink in this, she quickly showed she was more than just her first album) Not that the others don’t have catchy songs and even one of them a better voice, but they are all stuck on the same musical road they started on 20 years ago, except for Mandy. Moore and Adams divorced in 2016, and that year she joined the cast of the time-jumping romantic drama This is Us. I t’s been over a decade since Mandy Moore’s last album, Amanda Leigh, saw the singer turned actress pivoting from teen pop to a more mature musical palette. Great lyrical work. In many ways, it is a departure from Moore’s previous success, explained by Mandy as “a very California sounding record—something that feels sunshiny and airy and natural.”. An album that is Gold! By the end of the record, things get a bit too dreamy and slow, Moore’s mellow is pleasing yet aching for something more harsh.
It’s a breezy, spring day of a listen - with hints of Kacey Musgraves, Fleetwood Mac, and Jason Mraz - with enough pleasant surprises (the subtle sax on the album’s best track “Tryin’ My Best, Los Angeles” being one) to keep the listener engaged while also enjoying the gentle touch of this lovely record.
For audiences who grew up listening to artists like Moore, it's an absolute privilege to get to experience this glimpse into who she is now and how she got there. Moore has finally grown into the adult voice that sounded so jarring in her teenaged hits like “Candy,” and her songwriting also reveals a sadder, wiser maturity.