Aimee Mann seems to have a good sense of humor about herself and her career—her appearance as Carrie Brownstein’s cleaning lady on Portlandia is evidence enough of that. But there’s also no denying that her music is depressing, so much so that Spotify has installed a feature where, if you listen to Lost In Space enough times on a loop, it calls a therapist on your behalf. Okay, so we made that last part up. But Mann has historically been a chronicler of life’s disappointments both simple and profound, a tradition she appears to be continuing on her new album, Mental Illness.
The 11 tracks on Mental Illness make up Mann’s first full-length album since 2012’s Charmer, and were recorded with the assistance of guest musician Ted Leo, who also makes up one-half of Mann’s side project The Both. Along with the album announcement, this morning Mann released the first single from Mental Illness, “Goose Snow Cone,” as well as a handful of tour dates criss-crossing the U.S. and Canada. You can see those tour dates and listen to the whole song on Mann’s website, and hear a snippet of “Goose Snow Cone” in the album trailer below.
Mental Illness is due out March 31 on Mann’s own SuperEgo Records.