Mandy Moore
In Real Life
Verve Forecast
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It’s good to be Mandy Moore in 2022—for two reasons.

As an actress, Moore is wrapping up one notable venture on a remarkable high: This Is Us. After an acclaimed six-season run, the final curtain for the beloved NBC network series will occur two Tuesdays from now on May 24th; Moore’s award-winning portrayal of Rebecca Pearson has been a welcome television staple for millions of viewers.

Turning to her music career, Moore is also due to launch her seventh studio album, In Real Life. Her recent body of work is the second to be hosted on the Verve Forecast imprint following Silver Landings (2020). She not only matches the standard set with that previous effort, she exceeds it. To understand how Moore has arrived at this moment, one must look back to her third release on the Epic label, Coverage (2003).

Upon its issuance nineteen years ago, the John Fields produced affair, featuring cover songs from Carly Simon, Blondie, Joe Jackson, Joan Armatrading and XTC (to name a few) confused some pundits and record buyers. Despite these artists being undoubtedly revered, their origins—spanning from the mid-1970s up through to the mid-1980s—were distant from the bubblegum pop thrust of Moore’s Epic Records debut So Real (1999). Coverage did not shake up the charts, but it did stir curiosity with discerning critics and fans for what came next: Wild Hope (2007) and Amanda Leigh (2009).

The two long players showcased Moore’s considerable songwriting chops and saw her sharpen those cited 1970s influences laid out on Coverage—albeit with a retro-modern twist. The other references were sadly marooned on that same record, until now. Joined again by writer-producer-musician Mike Viola, the principal collaborator who helmed her last three projects, Moore bounds ahead to her next creative plateau on In Real Life.

The LP opens strong with its title piece, an intrepid slice of midtempo AOR with vivid synth lines that easily could’ve been lifted off a Toto or Bonnie Tyler record, circa 1982 or 1983—and this isn’t a bad thing. From the swaggering rock of “Little Dreams,” on over to the anthemic swell of “Just Maybe,” right on up to the alternative college radio feel of “In Other Words,” Moore has Viola rope in those 1980s elements—bolder programming touches, guitar riffs and drumming patterns—initially broached on parts of her third album.

Although the pair of them sit at the artistic core of In Real Life, they have able-bodied support from composer Trey Pollard, bassist Sebastian Steinberg, keyboardist Lee Pardini, two-fourths of the indie-pop act Lucius (Jess Wolfe, Holly Laessig), and the Goldsmith brothers Griffin and Taylor (of the handsome guitar band Dawes). Taylor Goldsmith also happens to be married to the actress-singer-songwriter. It’s an eclectic crew all thoroughly in sync regarding their mission: to aid Moore in crafting a space where her interests can dwell simultaneously.

To prove the point, pieces like the spunky California jam “Living in the in Between,” the folkish downtempo “Four Moons,” and the jangly toe-tapper “Brand New Nowhere” evince how dimensional and unique her guitar-pop vibe has become. Much of this is owed to Moore’s ear for filmic production as well as her way with a pen. Since she began scripting her own material back in 2007, Moore has maintained a wonderful symmetry between observational and confessional storytelling. That remains mostly true regarding In Real Life, however, she leans further into her own experiences now as a wife, mother and woman; “Heartlands” and “Every Light” best illustrates this internal development.

“There’s something about expressing myself through lyrics and melody that makes me feel whole and I see it as a privilege that I have that outlet,” Moore elaborated about her writing mindset for this album in its EPK. Tying together the lyrical and sonic threads of In Real Life is Moore’s gorgeous voice. Her vibrant, colorful tone immediately cast her apart from her peers with So Real.

It isn’t surprising that her vocal approach is as engaging now as it was then. Across the eleven tracks contained on the new album—thirteen when one includes the Target exclusive bonus cuts “Something to Do with Loneliness” and demo version of “Little Victories”—Moore adjusts accordingly to the tonal demands of each entry. Still, no one can deny the sweet, substantive timbre of Moore’s voice and it’s displayed to tuneful effect via “Little Victories,” a snappy, sugar rush of power pop that one hopes will be serviced as an eventual single. Said demo iteration provides an additional layer to its appeal.

Stepping back and focusing on Moore’s output from Coverage onward, the sheer breadth of refinement executed from that project through her current offering is stunning. In Real Life is her most thrilling collection yet; fully realized and superbly constructed, it positions Moore to move forward in any direction she sees fit with a sound wholly her own.

Notable Tracks: “Brand New Nowhere” | “In Real Life” | “Just Maybe” | “Little Victories”

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