Mandy Moore, 'Amanda Leigh'

Release date: May 26, 2009
Record label: Storefront
Official Web site: http://www.mandymoore.com/

The buzz: There's been no shortage of press for onetime Britney Spears–wannabe Mandy Moore in recent years, but much to her dismay, little of it's been about the music: this past year, she married alt-country wunderkind Ryan Adams in a tabloid-friendly relationship that can be best described as both unpredictable and befuddling. “Amanda Leigh” is her third and latest attempt to shed her teen-pop image and establish herself as a serious singer-songwriter.

The verdict: Though at this point Moore's more associated with US Weekly than Rolling Stone, for years she's been insisting she's a mature, serious musician—and, taken on its own, there's nothing on “Amanda Leigh” to suggest otherwise. Moore's voice is still glossily produced, but here it shimmers instead of grates, with songs like the first single (the jaunty “I Could Break Your Heart Any Day of the Week”) fitting firmly alongside hits from songwriters such as Sarah Bareilles, who stand strongly in that other genre of pop, the “adult” one that no one quite loves or hates. That said, “Amanda Leigh” is an enjoyable (if sometimes forgettable) listen, laced with tinges of country-rock and a smattering of hooks that prove that if Moore's past isn't entirely behind her, she's safely forging ahead on new ground—even if it means she's sometimes following in a slew of other footsteps.

Did you know? “Amanda” is Moore's first name, and “Leigh” her middle.