Luminescent lights and transparent passengers aren't going to be enough to brighten Andrew McMahon's mood on the latest Jack's Mannequin release, The Glass Passenger.
Following the piano-pop heavy Everything in Transit, The Glass Passenger is a step towards a brooding, haunting McMahon trading in catchy hooks for more mature melodic accompaniments.
In fact, the closest thing listeners will find to the previous Jack's release is the lead single "The Resolution," which is the most radio-friendly track on the entire album.
A steady drum beat backs McMahon's classic piano lines as he wails, "Yeah I'm alive/But I don't need a witness/ to know that I've survived/I'm not looking for forgiveness," one of the references he makes to his recent fight against Leukemia.
McMahon's optimistic outlook on the album provides a refreshing lyrical background for many of the tracks, including the opening track "Crashing," and "Spinning."
"Crashing" provides the solid catch The Glass Passenger needs, with a strong piano background and a chorus that's irresistibly catchy. "Spinning" takes a similar approach, adding a little bit more guitar into the equation.
After the first two tracks, McMahon's new direction begins to take shape similar to his previous band's, Something Corporate, melancholic final release North.
"Annie Use Your Telescope" is a slower song that reaches its climax when it hits an epic chorus filled with orchestral instruments providing a lush landscape of melody and noise that would have fit in perfectly in the track listing for North.
In a bold ode to those who did McMahon wrong, "What Gets You Off" is a smooth, layered jam with a synergy unlike anything he has written in his career.
McMahon hits his stride and delivers some of his best material to date on The Glass Passenger, using classic rock influences such as The Beatles and Bruce Springsteen to create a one-of-a-kind atmosphere.
With a bridge reminiscent of "Hotel California," "Bloodshot" is an ambitious experience that features so much instrumentation that McMahon's low key piano playing gets lost in the noise but provides enough emphasis on his voice to be one of the highlights.
"Hammers and Strings [A Lullaby]" may be the most incredible track in the album. With enough lyrical depth put together with its stadium sized chorus to make anyone feel a bit teary eyed, the piano ballad may be the first song since McMahon penned "Konstantine" so many years ago that will hit home for an entire generation of music listeners.
"She says, 'how have you been?'/I say, 'dear I've been well/Yeah the money's coming/But I miss you like hell/ I still hear you in this old piano, oh yeah,'" sings McMahon.
Web savvy Mannequin fans will be pleased to know there are at least five b-sides that were released to coincide with the albums debut.
Quite a few of the b-sides sound like they were recorded during the Everything in Transit sessions.
The exuberance of "Miss California", an extremely poppy summer song, is a bit much for this gloomy release.
Stepping out from the California sun into the shady underbelly seems to have provided McMahon the inspiration for his most spirited material since North, and it's for the best.
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
