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{{distinguish|Amanda Lee (disambiguation){{!}}Amanda Lee}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2025}}
{{Infobox album
| name = Amanda Leigh
| type = studio
| artist = [[Mandy Moore]]
| cover = Amanda Leigh.png
| alt =
| released = May 26, 2009
| recorded = December 2008
| venue =
| studio =
| genre =
| length = 37:57
| label = Storefront
| producer = [[Mike Viola]]
| prev_title = [[Wild Hope]]
| prev_year = 2007
| next_title = [[Silver Landings]]
| next_year = 2020
| misc = {{Singles
| name = Amanda Leigh
| type = studio
| single1 = [[I Could Break Your Heart Any Day of the Week]]
| single1date = April 1, 2009
}}
}}

'''''Amanda Leigh''''' is the fifth studio album by American singer-songwriter [[Mandy Moore]], released by Storefront Records on May 26, 2009 with distribution by [[RED Music|Red Distribution]].

''Amanda Leigh'' debuted at number 25 on the US ''Billboard'' 200 with 15,000 copies sold on its first week. The album's lead single "[[I Could Break Your Heart Any Day of the Week]]" was released on March 17, 2009.

==Background and music==
In October 2008, Moore posted live videos of three new songs she had been working on with singer-songwriter, record producer, pianist and guitarist [[Mike Viola]] on her blog. Then fans thought it was a possible duo album with Moore and Viola, but in January 2009, it was revealed to be Moore's sixth studio album with a collaboration with Viola.

Recording sessions for the album took place around December 2008 in [[Boston]], [[Massachusetts]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.ilovegain.com/stories/firstsniff/preconcert.jsp |title=Gain: Laundry Detergent, Fabric Care Products & Services |publisher=Ilovegain.com |date=February 5, 2010 |accessdate=September 22, 2010 }}{{dead link|date=July 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

It was announced in February 2009 that the album was going to be released in May by Storefront Records that was founded by Moore's longtime music manager Jon Leshay. Moore also collaborated with singer-songwriter [[Lori McKenna]] again, with whom she co-wrote three songs on her fourth studio album ''[[Wild Hope]]'' (2007).

The album's music is variously influenced by three of Moore's favorite singers, [[Paul McCartney]], [[Joni Mitchell]] and [[Todd Rundgren]]. According to Moore, "The music is all a reflection of me now, not somebody else's choices."<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://men.style.com/details/features/full?&id=content_8717|title=Mandy Moore|work=Details|accessdate=April 19, 2009|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090425050503/http://men.style.com/details/features/full?&id=content_8717|archivedate=2009-04-25|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==Composition==
The album's opening song "Merrimack River" is named after the [[Merrimack River|river of the same name]] and which, according to Moore, she knew was exactly the way to start the album, indicating the lyrics ("restless to begin a wave comes crashing in").<ref name="MandyMoore">{{cite web |url=http://mandymoore.com |title=MANDY MOORE |access-date=November 11, 2020}}</ref> The second song, "Fern Dell", was one of the first few songs recorded for the album. According to Moore, the song talks about first impressions and how they can affect and change your world. The third song, "[[I Could Break Your Heart Any Day of the Week]]", also served as the only official single released. About the song, Moore said "it's a way of owning and acknowledging your sense of worth in a rather [[tongue-in-cheek]] manner".<ref name="MandyMoore"/> The fourth song, "Pocket Philosopher", is about "the excitement of meeting someone new and wanting to stop time so you could figured them out a little more". The fifth song, "Song About Home", talks about the struggles that there might be between the definitions of home when you are a child and when you have your own family. The sixth song, "Everblue", is the last of the six or seven songs co-written by Moore and [[Lori McKenna]]. The song is heavy, but has a comfortable, resigned sadness.<ref name="MandyMoore"/> The seventh song, "Merrimack River (Reprise)," is an instrumental version of the first song of the album. The eighth song, "Love to Love Me Back", is a [[Country music|country]] song which talks about loving and being loved back by someone who is capable of having "two way conversations" and someone who "can handle any situation". The song was also the first song co-written by Moore with [[Mike Viola]] and Inara George and it became "instant driving force in shaping what the record turned out to be". The ninth song, "Indian Summer", is what Moore said was "the one song that carried severe [[Demo (music)|demo]]-itis for me". The tenth song, "Nothing Everything", was the last song written for it. The song is about telling someone that maybe it is time to move on and that you feel that the person deserves the best, and you are not it. According to Moore, Viola was working on the melody for a few days, but the lyrics were written in fifteen minutes. The eleventh and last song's title, "Bug", is named after Moore's nickname from her then-husband, former [[Whiskeytown (band)|Whiskeytown]] frontman [[Ryan Adams]], and she calls it "something [[Acoustic music|acoustic]] and simple to fall at the end of the record".

==Promotion and release==
For the promotion of the album, Moore performed an exclusive concert for the winning town of the "Love at First Sniff" competition on [[Gain (detergent)|Gain]]'s official site. The town that has the most stories placed on the website wins the competition and gets the concert hosted there.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.ilovegain.com/stories/firstsniff/ |title=Gain: Laundry Detergent, Fabric Care Products & Services |publisher=Ilovegain.com |date=February 5, 2010 |accessdate=September 22, 2010 }}{{Dead link|date=May 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

Moore visited a number of talk shows including ''[[The Ellen DeGeneres Show]]''<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ellen.warnerbros.com/2009/05/ellens_photos_of_the_day_featu_20.php |title=Ellen's Photos of the Day Featuring Mandy Moore! |website=ellen.warnerbros.com |accessdate=May 28, 2009 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090528020657/http://ellen.warnerbros.com/2009/05/ellens_photos_of_the_day_featu_20.php |archivedate=May 28, 2009}}</ref> and ''[[The Tonight Show with Jay Leno]]''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.lateshowuk.com/guest-listings/the-tonight-show-guest-listings/2964/the-tonight-show-with-jay-leno-18th-to-22nd-may-2009 |title=The Tonight Show guest listings |publisher=Lateshowuk.com |date=May 8, 2009 |accessdate=September 22, 2010}}</ref> On both shows, she performed the album's single "[[I Could Break Your Heart Any Day of the Week]]" to promote the album. On May 26, 2009, she performed songs from the album at [[Amoeba Music]] in [[Hollywood, Los Angeles|Hollywood]], together with [[Mike Viola]], the day it was released by Storefront Records.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.amoeba.com/live-shows/videos/mandy-moore.html |title=Mandy Moore live at Amoeba Music |publisher=Amoeba.com |date=January 4, 2010 |accessdate=September 22, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.amoeba.com/buy-stuff/detail/mandy-moore/amanda-leigh.html |title=Mandy Moore - Amanda Leigh at Amoeba Music |publisher=Amoeba.com |date= |accessdate=September 22, 2010}}</ref>

On March 17, 2009, the album's lead single "[[I Could Break Your Heart Any Day of the Week]]" was released as a [[Music download|digital download]] on [[iTunes]]. This was the date of the pre-ordering for the album.<ref name="MandyMoore"/> Also that day, Moore's official website shared clips from all the songs from the standard edition of the album.<ref name="MandyMoore"/> Two of the album's songs, "Fern Dell" and "Love to Love Me Back", were made available for streaming at her Myspace page a few days after.

According to a post in a blog on her website, it would be released digitally globally on September 29, a little more than four months after its initial release.<ref name="MandyMoore"/> The album was released in Brazil on June 28, 2010, and in Argentina in November 2011.

==Critical reception==
{{Music ratings
|rev1 = [[AllMusic]]
|rev1Score = {{Rating|3.5|5}} [{{AllMusic|class=album|id=r1546277|pure_url=yes}} link]
|rev2 = [[Associated Press]]
|rev2Score = positive [https://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090527/ap_en_mu/us_music_review_mandy_moore link]
|rev3 = ''[[The Boston Globe]]''
|rev3Score = positive [https://www.boston.com/ae/music/cd_reviews/articles/2009/05/25/mandy_still_needs_to_deliver_more/ link]
|rev4 = ''[[The Dallas Morning News]]''
|rev4Score = '''B+''' [http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/ent/stories/DN-musically_0526gd.ART.State.Edition1.5087032.html link]
|rev5 = ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]''
|rev5Score = B+ [https://ew.com/article/2009/05/20/amanda-leigh/ Amanda Leigh]
|rev6 = ''[[The Hartford Courant]]''
|rev6Score = positive [https://archive.today/20120708171923/http://blogs.courant.com/eric_danton_sound_check/2009/05/mandy-moore-amanda-leigh-cd-review.html link]
|rev7 = [[IGN]]
|rev7Score = (7.4/10) [https://web.archive.org/web/20110527124238/http://music.ign.com/articles/986/986417p1.html link]
|rev8 = [[Metromix]]
|rev8Score = {{Rating|3|5}} [http://newyork.metromix.com/music/cd_review/mandy-moore-amanda-leigh/1201056/content link]
|rev9 = ''[[Rolling Stone]]''
|rev9Score = {{Rating|3.5|5}} [https://www.rollingstone.com/music/albumreviews/amanda-leigh-20090526 link]
|rev10 = ''[[Slant Magazine]]''
|rev10Score = {{rating|3.5|5}} [https://web.archive.org/web/20140322014005/http://www.slantmagazine.com/music/music_review.asp?ID=1766 link]
}}
At [[Metacritic]], which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album scored 70, indicating "generally favorable reviews".<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.metacritic.com/music/amanda-leigh |title=Amanda Leigh Reviews, Ratings, Credits, and More at Metacritic |publisher=[[Metacritic]] |accessdate=April 21, 2012}}</ref>

''Entertainment Weekly'' gave the album a B+, calling it "much more fun" than its predecessor ''Wild Hope'' and praised the songs "Merrimack River", "Pocket Philosopher" and "Song About Home".<ref>{{Cite magazine|author=Mikael Wood |url=https://ew.com/article/2009/05/20/amanda-leigh/ |title=Amanda Leigh |magazine=Entertainment Weekly |date=May 20, 2009 |access-date=September 22, 2010}}</ref> The album topped the website's Must List the week it was released.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Medina |first=Jeremy |url=http://popwatch.ew.com/popwatch/2009/05/must-list-2.html |title=Mandy Moore's new album tops our Must List: What's on yours? |publisher=[[Entertainment Weekly]] |date=May 27, 2009 |access-date=September 22, 2010 |archive-date=May 30, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090530054459/http://popwatch.ew.com/popwatch/2009/05/must-list-2.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>

[[Stephen Thomas Erlewine]] of [[AllMusic]] called the album a "clean, classy collection of AAA pop."<ref>{{Cite web|last=Thomas |first=Stephen |url={{AllMusic|class=album|id=r1546277|pure_url=yes}} |title=((( Amanda Leigh > Overview ))) |publisher=allmusic |date=May 26, 2009 |accessdate=September 22, 2010}}</ref>

IGN said, "With ''Amanda Leigh'', Moore has succeeded in crafting a personal record that is entertaining, even compelling at times, but isn't weighed down by heavy themes, misguided irony, or complex arrangements."<ref>{{Cite web |author=IGN Music |url=http://music.ign.com/articles/986/986417p1.html |title=Mandy Moore - Amanda Leigh Review - Music Review at IGN |publisher=Music.ign.com |date=May 26, 2009 |accessdate=September 22, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110527124238/http://music.ign.com/articles/986/986417p1.html |archive-date=2011-05-27 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

The ''Dallas Morning News'' said, "''Amanda Leigh'' turns more compelling with each listen...How great that she left the [[Britney Spears]] factory behind."<ref>{{Cite web |author=MARIO TARRADELL / Music Critic |url=http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/ent/stories/DN-musically_0526gd.ART.State.Edition1.5087032.html |title=CD review: Mandy Moore's latest 'Amanda Leigh' leaves teen pop well behind | Dallas-Fort Worth Entertainment News and Events | News for Dallas, Texas | Dallas Morning News |publisher=Dallasnews.com |date=May 26, 2009 |accessdate=September 22, 2010 |archive-date=March 6, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100306033431/http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/ent/stories/DN-musically_0526gd.ART.State.Edition1.5087032.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==Commercial performance==
''Amanda Leigh'' debuted at number 25 on the US ''Billboard'' 200, selling 15,000 copies in its first week of release.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/1613176/eminems-relapse-hangs-onto-billboard-1/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200928095616/http://www.mtv.com/news/1613176/eminems-relapse-hangs-onto-billboard-1/|url-status=dead|archive-date=September 28, 2020|title = Eminem's Relapse Hangs Onto Billboard #1|website = [[MTV]]}}</ref> It is Moore's third-highest peaking album to date.<ref>{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/chart-beat/268454/chart-beat-yoko-ono-taylor-swift-marilyn-manson |title=Chart Beat: Yoko Ono, Taylor Swift, Marilyn Manson |magazine=Billboard |date=September 14, 2009 |accessdate=September 22, 2010 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140810120949/http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/chart-beat/268454/chart-beat-yoko-ono-taylor-swift-marilyn-manson |archivedate=August 10, 2014 }}</ref>

==Track listing==
All songs written by Mandy Moore and Mike Viola, except where noted. All songs produced by Mike Viola.

{{Track listing
| title1 = Merrimack River
| writer1 =
| length1 = 4:24
| title2 = Fern Dell
| writer2 =
| length2 = 3:01
| title3 = [[I Could Break Your Heart Any Day of the Week]]
| writer3 =
| length3 = 2:49
| title4 = Pocket Philosopher
| writer4 =
| length4 = 3:15
| title5 = Song About Home
| writer5 = Mandy Moore, Mike Viola, Inara George
| length5 = 3:54
| title6 = Everblue
| writer6 = Moore, Lori McKenna
| length6 = 4:13
| title7 = Merrimack River (Reprise)
| writer7 = Viola
| length7 = 0:59
| title8 = Love to Love Me Back
| writer8 = Moore, Viola, George
| length8 = 4:12
| title9 = Indian Summer
| writer9 = Moore, Viola, George
| length9 = 2:20
| title10 = Nothing Everything
| writer10 =
| length10 = 4:21
| title11 = Bug
| writer11 =
| length11 = 2:16
}}

{{Track listing
| headline = South American bonus track
| title12 = Fern Dell
| note12 = Original Demo
| writer12 =
| length12 = 2:13<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.twitter.com/LAB_344/status/12318143237 |title=Twitter / LAB 344: a maioria optou pela capa |via=Twitter |accessdate=September 22, 2010}}</ref>
}}

{{track listing
| headline = Target bonus tracks
| title12 = Fern Dell
| note12 = Original Demo
| writer12 =
| length12 = 2:13
| title13 = Love to Love Me Back
| note13 = Original Demo
| writer13 = Moore, Viola, George
| length13 = 3:38
}}

{{track listing
| headline = [[iTunes]] bonus tracks
| title12 = I Could Break Your Heart Any Day of the Week
| note12 = Living Room Demo
| writer12 =
| length12 = 2:51
| title13 = Audio Track by Track
| writer13 =
| length13 = 11:24
}}

{{track listing
| headline = WalMart bonus tracks
| title12 = Merrimack River
| note12 = Original Performance Series<ref>{{cite web |url=http://mp3.walmart.com/store/artist?albumId=104063442 |title=Walmart MP3 Music Downloads: Mandy Moore - Top Songs at Low Prices, Free Music, Albums as low as $7.00, compatible with iPod and other MP3 players |website=Mp3.walmart.com |accessdate=September 22, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110722034011/http://mp3.walmart.com/store/artist?albumId=104063442 |archive-date=2011-07-22 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
| writer12 =
| length12 = 4:45
| title13 = Nothing Everything
| note13 = Original Performance Series
| writer13 =
| length13 = 3:42
}}

==Charts==
{| class="wikitable"
|-
!align="left"|Chart (2009)
!align="left"|Peak<br />position
|-
|align="left"|US [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' 200]]<ref>{{Cite magazine |url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/309062/mandy-moore/chart?f=305 |title=Mandy Moore - Chart history | Billboard |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |access-date=2020-02-19 |archive-date=2015-07-05 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150705204610/http://www.billboard.com/artist/309062/mandy-moore/chart?f=305 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
| style="text-align:center;"|25
|-
|align="left"|US ''Billboard'' [[Top Independent Albums]]<ref>[https://www.billboard.com/charts/2009-06-13/independent-albums Billboard.com - Amanda Leigh - Chart Listing For The Week Of Jun 13, 2009] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130523095010/http://www.billboard.com/charts/2009-06-13/independent-albums |date=May 23, 2013 }}</ref>
| style="text-align:center;"|4
|-
|align="left"|US ''Billboard'' [[Top Digital Albums]]<ref>[https://www.billboard.com/charts/2009-06-13/digital-albums Billboard.com - Amanda Leigh - Chart Listing For The Week Of Jun 13, 2009] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150912102825/http://www.billboard.com/charts/2009-06-13/digital-albums |date=September 12, 2015 }}</ref>
| style="text-align:center;"|12
|}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*{{Metacritic album}}

{{Mandy Moore}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:2009 albums]]
[[Category:Mandy Moore albums]]
[[Category:Country albums by American artists]]
[[Category:Folk albums by American artists]]
[[Category:Albums produced by Mike Viola]]

Amanda Leigh - Revision history

imported>Ser Amantio di Nicolao: add {{Use mdy dates|date=May 2025}}