Mandy Moore - Wild Hope

Moore came up in the shadows of Britney Spears, Jessica Simpson and others, and was treated with even less respect than those pop tarts. Moore’s acting career hasn’t fared much better. But the 23-year-old is now making a serious stab at musical credibility with this collection of songs co-written with the Weepies, Lori McKenna, Rachael Yamagata and Chantal Kreviazuk. Although hardly provocative, the substance of “Extraordinary,” “Gardenia” and “Ladies Choice” is the promising sound of a pop princess growing up.

June 19