I was 10 when Mandy Moore first came onto the scene with her single "Candy" and album "So Real." Her sound was just like Britney Spears/Jessica Simpson, but at my age then, the bubblegum lyrics were enough to keep me satisfied. However, where Britney/Jessica remain pop clones, Mandy has gradually matured and developed at the same time as I have gotten older and not been content with bubblegum crap anymore. I moved towards artists like Michelle Branch, Vanessa Carlton, Jewel, Sarah McLachlan, etc. and I feel like Mandy's new sound on this album is on the same level as these artists. I loved this album because it has such a wide of emotions, from the moody and reflective to in-your-face and angsty. I was waiting for her to make this album all along, because it represents who she truly is as an artist.