Continuing a countdown of my favorite albums of 2005…

#6 – The Forgotten Arm – Aimee Mann

Aimee Mann’s fifth solo release is a concept album about a romance between Vietnam vet boxer John and his girlfriend Caroline. Set in the 70s, it depicts the couple’s struggle with John’s alcoholism.

Though the songs shape the narrative, they are general enough to work as standalone tracks, and Mann serves up a great batch of her signature melancholy mid-tempo pop.

The title phrase refers to a boxing technique in which the fighter uses one arm to attack while holding the other back for an unexpected knockout punch. Here, that forgotten arm is a metaphor for the impact of addiction.

I love this album as much for its packaging as its songs. The CD booklet (remember those?) presents the songs as chapters in a short story, with the lyrics presented like prose. Beautiful illustrations of the action appear between chapters. The album won a Grammy for Best Recording Package.