The Glass Passenger,
Jack's Mannequin
I wanted to like 'The Glass Passenger' just because of the Jack's Mannequin back story. Andrew McMahon is an interesting chap; to go through such a serious and traumatic form of cancer and live - and then carry on your rock star lifestyle at the end of it - is such a fantastic story that listening to Jack's Mannequin is inspirational in itself. in a way he probably shouldn't even be on this Earth anymore and simply to hear a record that's drenched in some wonderful melodies and harmonies is a joy. I can't say it's the best record I'll hear this year, but it's still a good one - and that's even taking the rose-tinted specs off for a little while. A sunnier version of the first record, and world's apart from the cheesey, schoolboy-esque SoCo years, this is a clever, maturer record. hardly
surprising...
I first heard this record while driving in glorious sunshine. By the time it ended the sun was beginning to set with a deep red sky. I can confirm this is the best way to appreciate and enjoy this record (which I know will be difficult bearing in mind just how poor the UK summer has been...); switch it on, relax and enjoy. 'Crashing' and 'Caves' are fantastic songs as McMahon has a great talent for penning catchy hooks in a not-so-obvious way. But it's not a totally pop record as there are darker and more subtle moments too. And it's this multi faceted, three-dimensional side which separates this album from McMahon's previous efforts, in all their guises.
There are two, maybe three, songs which don't hit all the high notes. But other than that this is consistent and fun with some real standout tracks. If you could bottle up the sound of California I'm guessing this would be about the end product. Despite all the drama and all the trauma, this is a very good record indeed.
