Mannequin's album introduces their new side

Recovering from leukemia, Jack's Mannequin's new album is better than ever before.

By: Amanda Casanova

Posted: 10/17/08

Three years after the release of "Everything in Transit," Jack's Mannequin returns to piano-based roots with "The Glass Passenger." The album, a strong mix of power anthems and soft melodies, chronicles singer-songwriter Andrew McMahon's battle with Leukemia.

The day McMahon finished mastering the 2005 release, "Everything in Transit," the 26-year-old frontman was diagnosed with cancer. "The Glass Passenger" provides closure and a candid examination of McMahon's struggle. The album leads with "Crashin'," an upbeat song that reveals McMahon's worries about returning to the stage. He croons during the chorus, "And even if my voice comes back again, maybe there'll be no one listening."

McMahon's voice displays remarkable range throughout the album, at times showcasing his pop-laden vocals while other times displaying choral-like tendencies.

The track "Swim" is unlike any of McMahon's past ballads. The song reveals McMahon's voice of encouragement to himself rather than his hopes to swoon a girl. Backed by a steady electronic pulse, McMahon says, "You gotta swim/ Swim for your life/ Swim for the music that saves you when you're not so sure you'll survive."

With themes of endurance and hope echoing in almost every song, the album is something of a departure from McMahon's previous efforts.

The first single, "The Resolution" tells of McMahon's soul-searching as a by-product of his diagnosis. While the song never reveals what its lyrics imply, McMahon cries during the chorus, "I'm alive. I don't need a witness to know that I've survived. I'm not looking for forgiveness. I just need light. I need light in the dark as I search for the resolution."

But McMahon doesn't completely ignore women as his muse. Songs like "American Love" and "Suicide Blonde" detail McMahon's relationship with California women. The closing track, "Miss California," gives a unique look at courtship and married life, relating matrimony to a kidnapping of sorts. Avoiding comparisons to the emo musical genre, McMahon keeps the tracks upbeat, relying on bright guitars and bouncing piano riffs.

A highlight of the album includes the catchy and fast-paced song "Bloodshot." McMahon's voice soars over the rhythm section, and the chorus is nothing short of infectious.

The album is incredibly diverse, with McMahon's signature piano sound sometimes being traded for crunching electric guitars. One of the album's final tracks, "Caves," includes both elements. The 8-minute song begins with somber, piano-based reflection about McMahon's time spent in the hospital. An intricate piano melody fills against McMahon's falsetto vocals before the song shifts into a powerful anthem.

Something Corporate fans and "Everything in Transit" fans will be pleased with is Jack's Mannequin's sophomore effort. With smartly-strung together lyrics and striking melodies, McMahon may have found his resolution.