Mann’s solo albums have made it clear that she was indeed the heart and soul of the band; going solo doesn’t appear to have been much of a sacrifice. Whatever, her first, folky rock release was an impressive, solid debut; her lyrics and the polished pop sound made up for the somewhat predictable, formulaic nature of the hook-heavy songs. She’s become a critical favorite since then, and is active as a creative collaborator with Costello and others (she even appeared in the Coen Brothers’ The Big Lebowski as a nihilist who sacrifices a toe for the cause.) But record label troubles have kept her from the larger stage, where she deserves to be heard.

Thanks to Paul Thomas Anderson, director of Boogie Nights, Mann was asked to contribute songs to the soundtrack of a movie that became a hit…Magnolia. Mann’s songs are not merely a soundtrack…they are an integral part of how the film moves and changes on its three-hour journey in and out of the lives of a large cast of characters. Her lyrics express the sentiments that unite these people’s varying troubles and trials…a need for forgiveness and reconciliation is central, as is the sentiment that things will not get any better in the world until individuals take responsibility and "wise up". "Save Me" and "Wise Up" are two of her finest accomplishments, although I wince a little at the insistence that the only rescue can come through romantic love rather than realization that one exists for a purpose and is already Loved.

Bachelor No. 2 includes a few of the Magnolia songs (but the soundtrack is such a fine, compact set it really dserves to be heard on its own.) Bachelor represents her strongest solo work; it’s hard to believe there are so many consecutive contagious songs, not a misstep in the bunch. They sound like they were recorded all in one sitting, they flow so seamlessly from one to the next. The production is excellent; it’s a warm room, but a small space, bringing a personal and direct quality to the performances.

Mann’s familiarity with the colors of loneliness, heartbreak, insecurity, and rejection make her a champion of unrequited love as well as a battle-scarred veteran of failed relationships. We’re swimming in eloquent songs about love’s highs; she brings a specific and enlightening perspective to the lows, such that they might help the listener avoid stumbling into such traps themselves. She’s as quick to act as her own therapist as she is to intelligently rip up those who have arrogantly abused or neglected her. It’s not just anger…it’s righteous anger, and expressed in wisdom. If I have any complaint at all with Aimee’s work, it’s that she sticks too faithfully to addressing the playing field of romantic love; I’d love to hear her explore other themes in her writing. With such a hard focus on infatuation, desire, heartbreak, and picking over the remains and the ruins, it can seem that life is only worth living if one’s love life is healthy.