Review: Jack’s Mannequin’s The Glass Passenger lives up to expectations

By: Angelina Berube
Posted In: Entertainment

Last year, Alternative Press magazine voted Jack’s Mannequin’s sophomore album as their most anticipated release of 2008. Jack’s Mannequin’s first release, Everything in Transit, proved a huge success for Andrew McMahon, lead singer and mastermind behind Jack’s Mannequin. The pressure was on for the follow-up to 2005’s smash hit. The Glass Passenger, released Sept. 30 on Sire Records, delivered.

McMahon, former member of Something Corporate, started Jack’s Mannequin as a side project. This side project turned into a new musical direction for McMahon. In 2005, with his first solo project ready for release, McMahon was diagnosed with Leukemia after falling ill during a concert. He released 2005’s Everything in Transit as he laid in a hospital bed undergoing a bone marrow transplant from his sister. Tracks with themes of everyday life including love and lost, comprised Everything in Transit. Three years later, this much anticipated follow-up poetically follows McMahon’s new life journey through new, older eyes.

More mature than Everything in Transit, The Glass Passenger is a work of art. Great piano melodies and guitar rifts make this album catchy. The melody driven songs that fans loved on the last album are still present throughout the album, but more poignant. The Glass Passenger’s overall feel is darker and more heartbreaking.

Most of the content of the album is gloomy and haunting. The songs take the listener through the past couple years with McMahon as his life changed. McMahon battled Leukemia in 2005 while his first album dropped. He wrote of his experiences with cancer, composing the songs that developed into The Glass Passenger. Each song transforms into a haunting tale, of pain, love, and survival.

The majority of the album deals with the unknowns of life which makes the album relatable to his audience. Most of McMahon’s fans are young adults, trying to figure out what to do with their lives. In the album’s first single, ‘The Resolution,’ McMahon’s opening lyrics read, “There’s a lot that I don’t know, there’s a lot that I’m still learning.” This lyric embodies the feel of the record. The majority of the songs deal with uncertainty and not knowing what the future is going to hold. Other songs on the record deal with not knowing what to believe in.

Survival and desperation are also prevalent themes found in the remainder of the tracks. McMahon metaphorically alludes to life’s struggles in the tracks ‘Swim’ and ‘Bloodshot’ with images of the ocean and tired eyes. These metaphors are easily identifiable and anyone can relate to them in some way. Whether it is through the painstaking ‘Swim’ or more upbeat ‘Bloodshot,’ McMahon captivates the audience no matter how depressing his lyrics may sound. His piano driven sounds along with his charming voice numb the pain and sorrow in the lyrics.

Instant sing-along hits include ‘Spinning’ and ‘Suicide Blonde.’ Both tracks lighten up the mood.

The second track ‘Spinning’ is a prominent track highlighting McMahon’s lyrical genius. One line reads, “I’ll find my words if I can just stop thinking.” Everything is sound on this tune. Upbeat and dancy, ‘Spinning’ is the perfect song to blast in the car stereo cruising down the highway.

Catchy and fun, ‘Suicide Blonde’ is a spirited, up-beat song with a killer chorus and opening guitar chords. In between each verse are a couple of piano notes that add that ‘hit factor’ to the melody. The lyrics are laid back as McMahon writes, “Going broke but I’m feeling good.” This song embodies Jack’s Mannequin’s feel good vibe on their first album.

Spine-chilling ‘Caves’ concludes the album appropriately. A seven minute ode to McMahon’s fight against Leukemia, ‘Caves’ takes the listener through the pain and frustration of what he was feeling in the hospital. Strong lyrics such as “Said we’re not going to lie, son you just might die, get you on that morphine drip, drip” makes one feel the reality of McMahon’s situation. Half way through, the song’s somber beginning fades and then picks up with an upbeat melody. The upbeat melody competes with strains of frustration in McMahon’s voice, but the two are perfectly in sync with each other. The song then concludes as it began with the haunting piano melody showing McMahon’s continuing fight with his body. ‘Caves’ is a beautiful display of frustrations and triumphs and ultimately winning the battle of life.

The Glass Passenger is an album that lives up to its expectation. The tracks are heart felt and every note is sung with passion. McMahon outdid himself yet again with catchy, sing-a-long melodies and lyrics. The Glass Passenger is a breath of fresh air for the music scene.