Mandy Moore Is Simply Delightful

Yesterday night I braved the impossibly miserable weather to check out the record release party for Mandy Moore‘s new album, Amanda Leigh, at Joe’s Pub here in NYC. The new Mrs. Ryan Adams (to my knowledge sans Ryan Adams in the audience), who was dressed casually in jeans and a t-shirt with a slim fitting leather blazer, looked radiant as she, her band, and a guest string trio featuring opener Tracy Bonham, glided through a number of songs off her new album. All the while, the massive all-diamond wedding band sparkling on her ring finger nearly blinded the front row.

The new tunes show a more sophisticated side to the songbird, some of the tunes seemingly inspired by Joni Mitchell, and yes–even a little dash of Ryan Adams, all the while showcasing Mandy’s incredible voice. (Seriously, why hasn’t she ever done a Broadway musical?)

Mandy stayed minimal with the inter-song banter and focused on soulfully crooning out songs like “Everblue,” “Merrimack River,” and “Bug” to the sold out crowd of fans. Ending with an audience participate version of “I Could Break Your Heart Any Day of the Week,” she left the audience wanting more…

After a few minutes of constant applause, Mandy came back out for an encore–and much to the delight of the audience, she and her band broke out in a stripped down version of Mandy’s smash hit single, “Candy.”

Video below: