Bachelor No. 2 or the last remains of the dodo was recorded at the same time as Aimee Mann's soundtrack to the film Magnolia (in fact, this album contains four of the same songs). The multi-layered keyboards and interwoven guitars provided this former 'Til Tuesday lead singer and songwriter with the perfect backdrop for her distinctive and intimate voice. Not quite a song cycle, the dark and incisive lyrics are melded with gorgeous melodies. Her collaborators include producer Jon Brion, Heartbreaker pianist Benmont Tench, singers Juliana Hatfield and Grant Lee Phillips, and most significantly in many capacities, Michael Penn. The meticulously mix was handled by Bob Clearmountain. Not quite a song cycle, the dark and incisive lyrics are melded with gorgeous melodies. From Rolling Stone’s four-star review to Entertainment Weekly’s picking it as one of the top 10 albums of 2000 to England’s Mojo describing its “scintillating brilliance,” this disc is universally acclaimed as the work of one of America’s most exquisite songwriters. The complete illustrated lyrics are included.
