Audio Mixer: Ryan Freeland.

Recording information: Henson Recording, Hollywood, CA; The Sound Factory, Los Angeles, CA.

Illustrator: Gary Taxali.

With SMILERS, the woman who came in on the crest of the New Wave with 'Til Tuesday in the 1980s and helped make power pop cool as a solo artist in the '90s, moves one step away from her overt pop tendencies towards a more '70s singer/songwriter sound. While there are plenty of elegantly unfurled melodies and carefully constructed tunes here, these songs are less centered on hooks and snappy guitar riffs, and lean more towards a reflective, acoustic-based approach. Tunes like the sunny, synth-laced opener, "Freeway," will slake longtime Aimee Mann fans' pop thirst somewhat, but a 47-year-old troubadour sometimes has more in mind than a catchy refrain, as the soul-searching likes of "Thirty One Today" (which admittedly also sports some snazzy synth) and the almost Elton John-ish piano ballad, "Medicine Wheel," make clear.

Arguably, Aimee Mann hasn't released a simple collection of songs since her 1999 breakthrough with the Magnolia soundtrack and its cousin, Bachelor No. 2. Her releases since then have been prominent and respected, yet they played as explorations, with 2003's Lost in Space floating in the ether and 2006's The Forgotten Arm qualifying as an outright concept album. With @#%&*! Smilers, she returns to simply writing and recording songs, a back to basics that isn't quite so basic, as it finds Mann livelier and snarkier than she's been in a while. That censored profanity in the record's complete title -- it's easy to see but not say or write -- is a tip-off that Smilers has a defiant cynicism rippling throughout the record, something that's welcome after the careful craftsmanship of The Forgotten Arm and the spacy sleepiness of Lost in Space. Although this could hardly qualify as a bold departure -- there is nothing surprising about the arrangements, which still bear the ghost of Jon Brion although he is long gone -- Smilers pops with color, something that gives it an immediacy that's rare for an artist known for songs that subtly worm their way into the subconscious. That still happens here, of course -- one of Mann's greatest strengths is that her songs unfold slowly, seeming indelible after a few listens -- but Smilers grabs a listener, never making him or her work at learning the record, as there are both big pop hooks and a rich sonic sheen. 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. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Arguably, Aimee Mann hasn't released a simple collection of songs since her 1999 breakthrough with the Magnolia soundtrack and its cousin, Bachelor No. 2. Her releases since then have been prominent and respected, yet they played as explorations, with 2003's Lost in Space floating in the ether and 2006's The Forgotten Arm qualifying as an outright concept album. With @#%&*! Smilers, she returns to simply writing and recording songs, a back to basics that isn't quite so basic, as it finds Mann livelier and snarkier than she's been in a while. That censored profanity in the record's complete title -- it's easy to see but not say or write -- is a tip-off that Smilers has a defiant cynicism rippling throughout the record, something that's welcome after the careful craftsmanship of The Forgotten Arm and the spacy sleepiness of Lost in Space. Although this could hardly qualify as a bold departure -- there is nothing surprising about the arrangements, which still bear the ghost of Jon Brion although he is long gone -- Smilers pops with color, something that gives it an immediacy that's rare for an artist known for songs that subtly worm their way into the subconscious. That still happens here, of course -- one of Mann's greatest strengths is that her songs unfold slowly, seeming indelible after a few listens -- but Smilers grabs a listener, never making him or her work at learning the record, as there are both big pop hooks and a rich sonic sheen. 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. [This edition of @#%&*! Smilers comes in a special package that is similar to a ledger-style bound book complete with file tabs for the liner notes and lyrics.] ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine