Aimee Mann

On The Forgotten Arm, Aimee Mann serves up an assertive mix of confidence, conviction, and authority, using a stirring vocal presence — which recalls in equal measures Chrissie Hynde, Lucinda Williams, and Christine McVie — while backed by a band playing a series of rich, riveting melodies that resonate from the moment you hear them. Tracks such as “Dear John” and “Beautiful” beg instant attention, and even the naked vulnerability expressed in “King of the Jailhouse” (“There’s something wrong with me/That I can’t see”) and “Video” (“Like a building that’s been slated for blasting/I’m the proof that nothing is lasting”) has a riveting, irresistible allure.