Charmer is the eighth studio album by singer-songwriter Aimee Mann, released by SuperEgo Records in the UK on September 17, 2012, and in the US on September 18.^[1]

The album was produced by Mann's bassist, Paul Bryan, and features a guest appearance by The Shins frontman James Mercer, who duets with Mann on the track "Living a Lie." It debuted on the Billboard 200 at No. 33.

Laura Linney and John Hodgman star in the music video for the first single, "Charmer."^[2]

The video for the second single, "Labrador," is a shot-for-shot remake of the video for "Voices Carry," the 1985 hit of Mann's former band, 'Til Tuesday, with the exception of Town Hall replacing Carnegie Hall.^[3]

More information Aggregate scores, Source ...

Professional ratings

Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
Metacritic	(73/100)[4]
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[5]
American Songwriter	[6]
Blurt	[7]
Consequence of Sound	[8]
musicOMH	[9]
No Ripcord	[10]
PopMatters	[1]
Rolling Stone	[11]
Under the Radar	[4]
Uncut	(8/10)[4]

Close

Charmer so far has a score of 73 out of 100 from Metacritic based on "generally favorable reviews".^[4] Jody Rosen, in Rolling Stone magazine, criticized its lyrics and production concluding "[T]here's little new here, and even less charm".^[11] Allmusic, however, was more positive, citing its hooks as "spiky and precise", and concluding that it was "an immediate, engaging pop record".^[5]

Other reviews are positive: Filter gave the album a score of 84% and stated that "Thirty years in, Mann continues to charm, a hidden glint in her eye."^[12] Mojo gave the album four stars out of five and called it "an Americana and power-pop confection with piano and tasteful guitars swaddled in the choicest vintage tones."^[4] The Independent gave it a favorable review and called it "Another sweet viper's bite of post-Freudian dyspepsia from the singersongwriter who loves to mistrust."^[13] Paste gave it a score of 7.8 out of ten and stated: "The simple fact that Aimee Mann continues writing songs around these distressing observations and putting them out on such achingly beautiful records seems proof that-despite all the twisted, cutting truths she's spied under the lens of her artistic microscope—she still somehow clings to the sable cloud's silver flash."^[14] The A.V. Club gave it a B and said that Mann "is able to match her ideas to music with real kick."^[15]

Other reviews are average or mixed: Q gave the album three stars out of five and called Mann "good and snarky".^[4] The New York Times gave it an average review and said it "represents a sunny term for [Mann], at least in relative terms."^[16] The Boston Globe, however, gave it a mixed review and stated: "Too many tracks flirt with flat inconsequentiality, and too often the lyrics slip by without the sting of Mann's normally incisive wordsmithery."^[17]

All songs written by Aimee Mann, except where noted.

1. "Charmer" – 3:25
2. "Disappeared" – 3:24
3. "Labrador" – 3:49
4. "Crazytown" – 3:21
5. "Soon Enough" (Mann, Tim Heidecker) – 3:59
6. "Living a Lie" (featuring James Mercer) (Mann, Paul Bryan) – 3:26
7. "Slip and Roll" – 4:12
8. "Gumby" – 2:53
9. "Gamma Ray" – 3:00
10. "Barfly" – 4:00
11. "Red Flag Diver" – 2:29
12. "Brother's Keeper" (Bonus Track) – 4:06^{[lower-alpha 1]}
13. "Mea Culpa" (Bonus Track) – 2:29^{[lower-alpha 2]}
14. "Swanee River" (Bonus Track)  - 4:08^{[lower-alpha 3][18]}

• Aimee Mann – lead vocals, acoustic guitar
• James Mercer – vocals on "Living a Lie"
• J. J. Johnson – drums
• Jay Bellerose – percussion
• Chris Bruce – electric guitar
• Paul Bryan – bass, Mellotron, background vocals
• Jebin Bruni – piano, keyboards
• Jamie Edwards – electric guitar, piano, keyboards, tubular bells