Mandy Moore's artistic growth should come as no surprise to those in the know. Although she began as one of many teen pop chirpers of the late '90s, it didn't take long for the singer-actress to make a musical about-face. With 2003's Coverage, a CD that found her interpreting songs by Joni Mitchell, Carole King and others of that style and era, Moore decidedly ventured in another direction. She pursued that further on 2007's Wild Hope, a batch of original songs crafted with acclaimed singer-songwriters Lori McKenna, Rachael Yamagata and the Weepies.
So here comes Amanda Leigh, undoubtedly Moore's creative statement. She co-penned all 10 vocal tracks (there's one short piano instrumental as well) and nurtured her vibe with plenty of inspiration from Fleetwood Mac, Mitchell, King, Todd Rundgren, Harry Nilsson and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. You can hear traces of them all inside this disc. There's the So-Cal pop-rock of "Love to Love Me Back," "Nothing Everything" and "I Could Break Your Heart Any Day of the Week." Then we have the quiet beauty of the ballads "Merrimack River" and "Everblue."
Amanda Leigh turns more compelling with each listen. Moore, 25, seems to have taken to excellent guidance from producer and fellow songwriter Mike Viola. But obviously Moore was ready for this change. How great that she left the Britney Spears factory behind.
Biography:
| Birth name | Amanda Leigh Moore |
|---|---|
| Born | April 10, 1984 Nashua, New Hampshire, U.S. |
| Origin | Orlando, Florida, U.S. |
| Genre(s) | Pop, pop rock, dance-pop, teen pop, folk-pop |
| Occupation(s) | Singer-songwriter, actress, model, fashion designer |
| Years active | since 1999 (music) since 2000 (acting) |
| Label(s) | Epic, Sire, The Firm, EMI, Storefront Recordings |
| Website | www.mandymoore.com |
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Magic Al and the Mind Factory | Brittany Foster | First acting role |
| 2001 | The Princess Diaries | Lana Thomas | First major role |
| Dr. Dolittle 2 | Girl Bear Cub | Voice only | |
| 2002 | A Walk to Remember | Jamie Sullivan | Main role, Grossing: $47,494,916 |
| Kingdom Hearts | Aerith Gainsborough | Voice only (Video game) | |
| 2003 | How to Deal | Halley Martin | Main role |
| Punk'd | Herself | Television guest role (Season 1, Episode 2) | |
| All I Want | Lisa | Main role | |
| 2004 | Chasing Liberty | Anna Foster | Main role |
| Saved! | Hilary Faye | Main role, Grossing: $10,156,933 (Indie film) | |
| 2005 | Racing Stripes | Sandy | Voice only, Grossing: $49,772,522 |
| Entourage | Herself | Television guest role | |
| 2006 | American Dreamz | Sally Kendoo | Main role, Grossing: $16,458,459 |
| Brother Bear 2 | Nita | Voice only | |
| The Simpsons | Tabitha Vixx | Television guest star (Season 17, Episode 22) (Voice only) | |
| Scrubs | Julie Quinn | Television guest role | |
| Romance & Cigarettes | Baby Murder | Supporting role | |
| 2007 | Because I Said So | Milly Wilder | Main role, Grossing: $69,485,490 |
| License to Wed | Sadie Jones | Main role, Grossing: $71,128,322 (Worldwide) | |
| Dedication | Lucy Riley | Main role | |
| Southland Tales | Madeline Frost Santaros | Supporting role | |
| How I Met Your Mother | Amy | Television guest role |
