Choice in the Matter

"Choice in the Matter" is a song by American singer-songwriter Aimee Mann, which was released in 1996 as the second single from her second studio album I'm with Stupid. The song was written by Mann and Jon Brion, and produced by Brion.

"Choice in the Matter"
Single by Aimee Mann
from the album I'm with Stupid
Released1996
Length3:13
LabelGeffen
Songwriter(s)Aimee Mann
Jon Brion
Producer(s)Jon Brion
Aimee Mann singles chronology
"That's Just What You Are"
(1994)		 "Choice in the Matter"
(1996)		 "Long Shot"
(1996)

"Choice in the Matter" was released as a promotional-only single in the United States and United Kingdom. In April 1996, it peaked at No. 12 in the US Billboard Adult Alternative Songs chart.[1]

Background

Speaking to Chris Rubin of the San Francisco Chronicle in 1996, Mann said the song was about "someone realizing almost immediately that the person they're contemplating becoming involved with is not to be trusted". She added, "You can say to yourself, 'There is no choice, I can't get involved.' Problem solved. There is no possibility that you'll be involved in a horrible nightmare relationship."[2]

Critical reception

On its release as a single, Larry Flick of Billboard described "Choice in the Matter" as a "quirky, instantly contagious cut". He noted the song's "jangly guitars, skittling pop beats, and fuzzy retro-pop texture" as well as Mann's "low-key, emotion-filled vocal attack".[3] Cash Box selected "Choice in the Matter" as their "Pick of the Week" for the week of February 3, 1996. Reviewer Steve Baltin praised it as a "wonderful pop tune" which "combines Liz Phair type hooks with '60s pop grooves".[4]

In a review of I'm with Stupid, Melissa Ruggieri of the Sun-Sentinel commented, "Mann isn't happy with people who have deceived her on 'Choice in the Matter', yet she doesn't lash out with the intensity of an Alanis Morissette, choosing instead to state her gripes in a warm, girlish voice over a chugging drumbeat."[5] Chuck Campbell of the Scripps Howard News Service noted that "when a lover suspiciously ignores phone messages in her presence on the dense sounding 'Choice in the Matter,' she sees the flashing answering machine as a signal of deceit."[6] Shane Danielsen of The Sydney Morning Herald considered songs such as 'Choice in the Matter' to "attest to Mann's melodic skills".[7]

Track listing
CD single
  1. "Choice in the Matter" (LP Version) - 3:13

Personnel

Choice in the Matter

Production

  • Jon Brion – producer
  • Mike Denneen – recording
  • Jack Joseph Puig – mixing
  • Jonathan Wyner – mastering

Charts
Chart (1996) Peak
position
US Adult Alternative Songs (Billboard)[8] 12

References
  1. "Aimee Mann - Triple A Songs - Choice in the Matter". Billboard. Retrieved September 1, 2020.
  2. Rubin, Chris (February 4, 1996). "Pop Quiz: Q and A with Aimee Mann". San Francisco Examiner.
  3. Flick, Larry (January 27, 1996). "Reviews & Previews: Singles". Billboard. p. 106.
  4. Baltin, Steve (February 3, 1996). "Pop Singles: Reviews". Cash Box. p. 7.
  5. Ruggieri, Melissa (February 7, 1996). "Album Reviews: Rants, rage and regrets". Sun-Sentinel. p. 3E.
  6. Campbell, Chuck (February 29, 1996). "Praises sung to Mann's 'I'm with Stupid'". Kenosha News.
  7. Danielsen, Shane (February 26, 1996). "Deep cynicism in a voice like honey". The Sydney Morning Herald.
  8. "Aimee Mann Chart History (Adult Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved September 1, 2020.
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