@#%&*! Smilers
by Aimee Mann
  • Record Label: Superego
  • Release Date: Jun 3, 2008
Metascore
79

Generally favorable reviews - based on 16 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 13 out of 16
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 16
  3. Negative: 0 out of 16
  1. AllMusic
    80
    At its heart it's just a collection of songs, but it's that rare thing for a songwriter: it works as a piece of writing and a sterling pop album of its own.
  2. Billboard
    80
    After 2005 concept album "The Forgotten Arm" was poorly received, Aimee Mann is back to writing stand-alone pop songs, and lo and behold, they comprise her most compelling album to date.
  3. Blender
    70
    With its stories of faithless lovers, broken relationships and speed-dealing suburban doctors, @#%&*! Smilers almost seems to feed off the stagnation. [Aug 2008, p.88]
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  5. Boston Globe
    80
    As usual that pep is paired with tunes that seep into your brain with the stealth of Mann's own beguiling murmur and lyrics that range from poetic to narrative.
  6. Entertainment Weekly
    83
    Her yarns prove just as lovely as they are doeful. [13 June 2008]
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  7. Hartford Courant
    80
    This time, the strong songwriting and astute musical arrangements combine to make Mann's latest her best album so far.
  8. Mojo
    100
    Smilers is a masterpiece from a songwriter who's quietly chronicling the blanched last days of a sunshine empire. [July 2008, p.112]
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  9. Paste Magazine
    80
    The result is simply a more keyboard-centric entry into her consistently excellent solo catalog.
  10. PopMatters
    60
    Mann’s new record is smooth, moody, and a bit undistinguished.
  11. Prefix Magazine
    85
    Smilers proves Aimee Mann still has plenty to offer doing the same thing she's already been doing for the last fifteen years.
  12. Q Magazine
    80
    It isn't any different to where she's been before, it's simply that quality levels remain uniformly high. [Aug 2008, p.139]
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  13. Slant Magazine
    60
    Her wise, bitter lyrics never let her listeners off the hook; it'd be nice to hear her challenge herself as well.
  14. Spin
    80
    Another nuanced collection of mid-tempo '70s-pop-referencing tunes that document the lives of folks who manage only fleeting moments of happiness between protracted stretches of frustration.
  15. The A.V. Club
    67
    @#%&*! Smilers offers craft and monotony in equal measure.
  16. Tiny Mix Tapes
    70
    @#%&*! Smilers walks its own path as a uniquely beautiful addition to Mann’s already impressive catalogue.
  17. Uncut
    60
    Her decision to forgo electric guitars on @#%&*! Smilers results in the aural equivalent of watercolour washes, lovely and tasteful but lacking presence. [July 2008, p.102]
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User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
7.5

Generally favorable reviews- based on 24 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 18 out of 24
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 24
  3. Negative: 4 out of 24
  1. Holly
    Jun 21, 2008
    10
    I have been a huge fan since the til tuesday days. I love the electric sounds of her earlier solo CD's and also the mellow tunes of her I have been a huge fan since the til tuesday days. I love the electric sounds of her earlier solo CD's and also the mellow tunes of her newer releases. I think her sound has moved from pop-sounding to almost folk-sounding...but don't get me wrong..I still love it. In this age of cookie-cutter "musicians", I have a great deal of respect for an artist who sings, writes, and performs their own music on their own terms. As long as she writes music, I will keep listening because she has a captivating voice and writes amazing lyrics.… Full Review »
  2. JamesR.
    Jun 14, 2008
    9
    Great job.
  3. JeffD.
    Jun 12, 2008
    10
    Her best yet.
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