Wild Hope

Infobox Album | Name = Wild Hope
Type = Album
Artist = Mandy Moore

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Released = June 18 2007 (Australia digital)
June 19 2007 (U.S.)
23 February 2008 (Australia physical)
Genre = Folk
Pop

Length = 46:14 |
53:16 (Target Edition)
Recorded = Allaire Studios, Woodstock, NY
Label = EMI/The Firm
Producer = John Alagia
Reviews = * absolutepunk.net rating-10|7.8 [http://www.absolutepunk.net/showthread.php?t=243654 link]
*Allmusic Rating|3|5 [http://www.allmusicguide.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:hpfyxzy5ldae~T1 link]
* Courant (Favorable) [http://www.courant.com/entertainment/hce-cdreview-mandymoore.jun21,0,5562956.story?coll=hc_entertainment_xpromo link]
*"Entertainment Weekly" (B) [http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20042878,00.html link]
* IGN rating-10|7.4 [http://music.ign.com/articles/797/797681p1.html link]
* Metromix Rating|3|5 [http://metromix.chicagotribune.com/music/natent-music-cdreview-mandymoore-s,0,6379341.story?coll=mmx-music_leftutility link]
* Monsters and Critics (Favorable) [http://music.monstersandcritics.com/archive/musicarchive.php/Mandy_Moore:_Wild_Hope/10990 link]
*"Slant Magazine" Rating|2.5|5 [http://www.slantmagazine.com/music/music_review.asp?ID=1143 link]
* Epinions.com Rating|4|5 [http://www.epinions.com/content_399360364164 Link] |Last album ="Candy"
(2005)
This album ="Wild Hope"
(2007)
Next album = "Simple"
(2008)|

"Wild Hope" is the fifth studio album by American pop singer Mandy Moore, her first in four years. It was released via her new label, The Firm Music, a division of EMI, on June 19, 2007 (see 2007 in music). It was released digitally in Australia on June 18 with the bonus track "Swept Away". Counting her compilation and cover albums, it is Moore's seventh album and her first to be fully co-written.

About the album

Production of the album began in early 2005. Moore was intent on putting behind her "So Real" past.Fact|date=May 2007 She originally signed with Sire Records and released a single via her site entitled "Hey!" which was written by James Renald, the writer of her 2002 single "Cry". In early 2006, Moore posted the cover of "Beautiful Man" on her MySpace and later informed her fans that she departed from Sire Records due to creative differences.Fact|date=May 2007 Moore then signed with EMI and a UK magazine assumed after hearing the song "Slummin' In Paradise" that that would be the title of the album.Fact|date=May 2007

For "Wild Hope", Moore collaborated with producer John Alagia (Dave Matthews Band, Liz Phair) and has written material for the first time: she wrote/co-wrote songs with Rachael Yamagata, Chantal Kreviazuk, Michelle Branch, Lori McKenna and indie pop-folk duo The Weepies, all chronicled in a promotional [http://mandymoore.com/epk.htm video] available for viewing on her official website. This is the first album that Moore co-wrote entirely; many of the songs are about her break up with ex-boyfriend Andy Roddick.Fact|date=April 2007 This is her first full studio album in four years, and her first full album of entirely original material since her self-titled album, released in 2001. "Extraordinary", one of the tracks she co-wrote with The Weepies, was premiered via her MySpace profile on January 29, 2007. Moore has also put another song on her MySpace profile called "Nothing That You Are". The new track premiered on February 9, 2007. Moore explained how the album helped her cope with depression and self-discovery.Fact|date=May 2007

Reception

To date, critics have been generally positive on the album. "Jane Magazine" said thkat "Moore has turned into a sophisticated songwriter whose new sound fits cozily alongside that of Regina Spektor, Fiona Apple and Sarah McLachlan rather than all the pop tarts she used to be compared to." Billboard stated that "Wild Hope" is the gratifying sound of a singer finally finding her comfort zone. Gone is the sugary pop of Moore's early career, replaced instead by thoughtful musings on love and life...an album full of subtle, but undeniable hooks." [ [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/product-description/B000PC1QLU/ http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/product-description/B000PC1QLU/] "Amazon.com" Retrieved on 05-03-07 ]

Additionally, the album managed to make the 2008 Grammy Awards shortlist for Song of the Year ("Gardenia"), Best Female Pop Vocal Performance ("Extraordinary" and "Wild Hope"), and Best Pop Vocal Album ("Wild Hope") but was nonetheless overlooked when the final nominations were announced.

Promotion

Moore did a documentary for Oxygen entitled "I Mandy" that chronicled the writing and concept of her album "Wild Hope". Also Moore did "one-off" gigs promoting her album. The most popular is the MSN concert where Moore performed all songs off her album including three older songs (Help Me, Moonshadow, Candy). Moore also went on tour to help promote the album.

"Wild Hope World Tour"

Moore embarked on her first ever solo tour. Moore was more concentrated on her later work, rarely indulging in older music. Even when Moore closed the show with her song "Candy" Moore seemed like it was more of a chore. With time she became more accustomed to the task and when she began opening in Australia and Asia (where Moore is a bigger star) she incorporated even more older music including her singles "Cry", "Only Hope", "I Wanna Be With You" (which was done as a medley with "Can You Just Adore Her") and once in Australia she performed a folkier version of "So Real".

ales

"Wild Hope" debuted on the U.S. Billboard 200 at #30, selling a mere 25,000 copies the first week of release, according to Billboard. [Katie Hasty, [http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003604227 "Bon Jovi Scores First No. 1 Album Since 1988"] , Billboard.com, June 27, 2007.] It is Moore's third highest debuting album, falling short of her 2003 album "Coverage", which debuted at #14, selling 59,000 copies. Her album also reached #9 on The Top Internet albums. [ [http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/charts/chart_display.jsp?g=Albums&f=Top+Digital+Albums 2] ] After 5 weeks, "Wild Hope" charted off the Billboard 200, however it returned on the chart until 9/1/2007, when the album came back in at #118, selling 5,500 copies. To date, Wild Hope has sold over 250,000 in the United States, 15,000 in Canada, 30,000 in Australia, and 10,000 in the Philippines. Worldwide sales are about +350,000.

Charts

Track listing

#"Extraordinary" (Moore, Talan, Tannen, Weepies) - 2:54
#"All Good Things" (Moore, Talan, Tannen, Weepies) - 2:53
#"Slummin' In Paradise" (Moore, Renald) - 4:12
#"Most of Me" (McKenna, Moore) - 4:47
#"Few Days Down" (Moore, Talan, Tannen, Weepies) - 3:23
#"Can't You Just Adore Her?" (McKenna, Moore) - 3:55
#"Looking Forward to Looking Back" (Moore, Talan, Tannen, Weepies) - 3:13
#"Wild Hope" (Moore, Talan, Tannen, Weepies) - 2:59
#"Nothing That You Are" (Moore, Renald) - 4:28
#"Latest Mistake" (McKenna, Moore) - 4:08
#"Ladies' Choice" (Holmes, Moore, Yamagata) - 4:56
#"Gardenia" (Kreviazuk, Moore) - 4:27

ingles

#Extraordinary
#Nothing That You Are
#All Good Things (Australia Radio single only)

Bonus Tracks

*"Swept Away" (McKenna, Moore) - iTunes/Australian Bonus Track - 4:23
*"Could Have Been Watching You" (Hem, Moore) - Target Bonus Track - 3:17
*"All Good Things (Raw Version)" (Moore, Talan, Tannen, Weepies) - Target - 2:53
*"All Good Things (Naked)" - Japanese Bonus Track

When the Target exclusive edition of the album is opened in iTunes or any computer media player, it displays 10 tracks (13 - 23 on the CD) of silence, each lasting anywhere between 4 and 7 seconds. Each track is actually titled, forming a hidden message:

*13. Aren't
*14. you
*15. glad
*16. ewe
*17. bought
*18. Wild
*19. Hope
*20. at
*21. Target?
*22. BONUS
*23. TRACKS!

So the final message is "Aren't you glad you bought Wild Hope at Target? BONUS TRACKS!" and then tracks 24 and 24 are listed as "Could Have Been Watching You" and "All Good Things (Raw Version)" respectively.

Unreleased Tracks

*"Changed My Mind" (McKenna, Moore)
*"Shades" (Moore, Renald)
*"Never Again" (Moore, Renald)

Mandy Moore Soundcheck (Wal-Mart Exclusive)

*"All Good Things" [Original Performance Series] - 2:53
*"Looking Forward To Looking Back" [Original Performance Series] [Video]
*"Interview From Soundcheck" [Video]

References

* [http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1547569/20061207/story.jhtml MTV interview with Mandy Moore, from December 7, 2006]
* [http://sev.prnewswire.com/entertainment/20070131/AQW02831012007-1.html PR Newswire press release, from January 31, 2007]
* [http://firmmusic.com/pdf/mm_lyrics.pdf Official lyric sheet from Firm Music, confirming B-Sides]

External links

* [http://www.mandymoore.com Mandy Moore official website]
* [http://www.myspace.com/mandymoore Mandy Moore official MySpace]