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The Glass Passenger | 
| Artist: Jack Mannequin
Label: Warner
Category: Music
List Price: £15.99
Buy New: £6.18
as of 24/11/2009 20:35 GMT details
You Save: £9.81 (61%)
New (21) Used (3) Collectible (1) from £5.18
Seller: all your music
Rating:  6 reviews
Sales Rank: 2211
Format: CD
Media: Audio CD
Discs: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 5.6 x 4.9 x 0.4
MPN: 371452
UPC: 093624989707
EAN: 0093624989707
ASIN: B001E8YGOS
Release Date: March 9, 2009
Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
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| Tracks:
| • | Crashin' | | • | Spinning | | • | Swim | | • | American Love | | • | What Gets You Off | | • | Suicide Blonde | | • | Annie Use Your Telescope | | • | Bloodshot | | • | Drop Out (The So Unknown) | | • | Hammers And Strings (A Lullaby) | | • | Resolution, The | | • | Orphans | | • | Caves | | • | Miss California |
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| Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 1-5 of 6
 Jack Makes Second Debut Crystal Clear September 28, 2008
Christopher W. R. Bevan (Derby)
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
Well its been 3 years since Jack's Mannequin, the side project of Andrew McMahon released 'Everything In Transit' which delivered friendly radio pop rock with piano riddled songs and with hits like 'Bruised', 'Dark Blue' and 'Into The Airwaves' creating a second debut to match up to its previous would be a task indeed. However they have returned with one of the most breathtaking, awe inspiring and life affirming albums of the year! As most fans would probably already know Andrew McMahon suffered from acute lymphoblastic leukemia and his experiences are definately reflected in his music, but instead accepting and admitting defeat, he responds to it in a most positive and uplifting manner which is shown and expressed in some of the tracks on this record and these stand out quite remarkably.
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br /The opener 'Crashin' has one of the most uplifting choruses on the record with people clapping their hands to the uptempo vocals, impressive drumwork and the overall technicality of the guitars just makes you want to smile, a good start to the album =] The drum beat leads you into 'Spinning', one of my personal favourites on the album whereby Andrew's voice mesmerises you into one of the most radio friend pop rock choruses on the record. The level of musicianship as the drums, guitar and the piano interweave with each other so perfectly as well as featuring one of the guitar solos on the album its just simply a joy to listen to. Another favourite of mine 'Swim' demonstrates a more atmospheric side to Jack's Mannequin as the lyrics are uplifting and inspiring as he declares "You gotta swim, swim for your life, swim for the music that saves you when your not sure you'll survive, you gotta swim, swim even if it hurts" which displays his enthusiasm for music and that he isnt willing to give up even if what he going through are hard times, there is always something more worth living for.
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br /Other songs such 'American Love' rope you in with more monstrous choruses, 'What Gets You Off?', 'Drop Out - The So Unknown', 'Annie Use Your Telescope', 'Bloodshot' and 'The Resolution' deliver the piano riddled songs they plagued us with on 'Everything In Transit' which are equally as uplifting and memorable and this is what you find when you listen to the album. I found myself singing along even on my first listen through, these songs make a lasting or somewhat an impression, especially the breathtaking 'Hammers And Strings (A Lullaby), a song which is definately up my street! A beautifully written and executed piano ballad which I'd assume is about his cancer and the struggle to find something or someone worth believing in to keep surviving and with lyrics such as "Give me something to believe in, a breath from the breathing, so write it down I don't think I'll close my eyes cause lately I'm not dreaming, so what's the point in sleeping" it demands your attention and for me I can't help but fixate on this song because of its powerful songwriting and its production, making it one of the most emotional songs they have ever written and for me my favourite song on the album.
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br /'Suicide Blonde' was the only track which I found to be quite irritating and repetitive but to be honest 13/14 tracks is definately not bad going at all! Definately one of the best albums I've heard this year....possibly the best? I dont know but I can tell you this, its definately worth the money and the listen so check it out! =]
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br /Top Tracks: 'Hammers And Strings (A Lullaby)', 'Spinning', 'Swim'
Jacks Mannequin - The Glass Passenger November 5, 2008
A. Rowlinson (Manchester, England)
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
In August of 2005, Jack's Mannequin released their debut album "Everything In Transit." In June of that year, Andrew McMahon, lead singer and founder of the band, was diagnosed with lymphoblastic leukemia. Now, after making a full recovery, Jack's Mannequin has released their sophomore effort, "The Glass Passenger." Does the album live up to its anticipation?
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br /If you haven't heard of Jack's Mannequin, then you've picked the right time to open your ears and listen. A piano rock band originating from Orange County, California, the band was formed in 2004 and released their first album in August of 2005. A side project of Andrew McMahon, former member of Something Corporate, Everything In Transit debuted at No. 37 on the Billboard Top 200 chart. In June of 2005, McMahon was diagnosed with late stage acute lymphoblastic leukemia, but fortunately made a full recovery. This is the band's first album since his recovery.
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br /Similar to Everything In Transit, The Glass Passenger was written and recorded over the course of nearly two years. This year, the band, which also includes guitarist Bobby Anderson, bassist Jonathan Sullivan, and drummer Jay McMillian, toured the country, including stops at the Vans Warped Tour. During the summer, Jack's Mannequin joined up with the band Paramore. The Glass Passenger is a tour de force of sincerity at its purest, heartbreak at its freshest and regret at its rawest. Unlike piano-oriented bands such as Coldplay or The Fray, Jack's Mannequin uses the piano as a soothing backdrop as it does a rhythmic agitator. Their sound has the melodic sensibilities of a Beach Boy album, mixed with the evocative imagery and arresting wordplay of a Kerouac novel.
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br /McMahon's voice captures the longing of youth, the uncertainty of the future, and the optimism of a California afternoon. You can't help but feel mentally and emotionally attached to each of the unknown "characters" in the lyrics, as the combination of the vocals, musical arrangement, and arresting lyrics rope the listener into a world not too dissimilar from their own. McMahon's skill as a lyricist is evident from his earlier work with Something Corporate and as the years have gone by, he proves that this is a gift that continues to expand and flourish.
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br /Every single song on The Glass Passenger contains a universal theme, but with a uniquely ingenious lyrical composition. Being a self-defined book geek, I'm always attracted to music that is just as musically captivating as it is lyrically. With The Glass Passenger, the listener is taken on an entire journey through the human heart, as McMahon's ability to express vulnerability without over-excessive sentimentality is essential to the record's accessibility. The opening track, "Crashin," could be easily read as applicable to McMahon's personal battle with leukemia and the two years it took to produce The Glass Passenger. He sings:
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br /And even if your voice comes back again
br /Maybe they'll be no one listening
br /And even if I find the strength to stand
br /Doesn't mean I won't go missing
br /And the world will come
br /Crashing
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br /However, to merely pass the lyrics as polished diary pages would be a discredit to McMahon's talent. Due to the extremely personal feel of the lyrics, the listener may automatically assume that each song is a confession, that by hearing the words, he or she has unlocked the mind of the artist. Though art sometimes imitates life, McMahon's ability to make the listener believe that they've been given the key to his innermost thoughts is also a rare skill displayed by some of the best authors and poets. One of the reasons why some people fall head over heels for music is that it functions as another voice, as an outlet for the things which they themselves can't express. Music can become like a best friend, like a lover, like a father, like a mother, like a sibling. It's the artists that can make you forget that what you're reading is fiction that are the ones that stick with you.
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br /Music as salvation is a theme directly addressed on The Glass Passenger, especially in the inspirational song entitled "Swim." McMahon says:
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br /You gotta swim
br /Swim for your life
br /Swim for the music
br /That saves you
br /When you're not so sure you'll survive
br /You gotta swim
br /Swim when it hurts
br /The whole world is watching
br /You haven't come this far
br /To fall off the earth
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br /The idea of "redemption through music" is a motif older than McMahon himself. However, the song itself doesn't feel tired or passé. There's something bittersweet about the track, as McMahon struggles to rise above the negativity and the disenchantment, as the piano arrangement perfectly compliments the message of the track. The fourth track, "American Love," tackles the subject of heartbreak, love, and loss. Unlike some of the other fifteen-minute bands floating around today, McMahon avoids the pitfalls of penning lyrics that are cliché and overly dramatic. Instead of writing a love letter about a high school affair gone awry between sixth and seventh period, McMahon approaches the subject with the maturity of an experienced adult and the recent reflections of a twenty something that's fallen in love for the first time.
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br /The sixth track, "Suicide Blonde" is the lyrical saga of a Californian Bonnie and Clyde. McMahon plays with double entendre, wittily noting:
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br /She's a suicide blonde/Dyed by her own hand.
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br /The album isn't without its slow ballads. "Hammers and Strings (A Lullaby)" carries the faint impressions of melancholy without coming across as heavy or entangled with its own unspoken complexities. Much like the signature ballads from Something Corporate, "Hammers and Strings" is reminiscent of earlier tracks such as "Konstantine" or "Globes and Maps." However, unlike the aforementioned songs, there's just as much self-reflection as there is the consuming desire for a romantic or platonic companion. The second to last song, "The Resolution," may be the only thing where McMahon directly and openly addresses his battle with leukemia. Admirably, the lyrics aren't a demand for sympathy, but an assertation of survival, of the appreciation of being alive. He sings:
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br /Yeah I'm alive
br /But I don't need a witness
br /To know that I've survived
br /I'm not looking for forgiveness
br /Yeah I just need life
br /I'll be lying in the dark
br /As I search for the resolution.
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br /And thus, instead of trivializing his experience, McMahon creates something much more than a three minute song. The entire album is a reminder of how much the art of music is so fully intertwined with life, love, and our interactions with the people and the world around us.
Thank you Mr McMahon November 6, 2008
Jonathan Lee (SY, UK)
What can I say? After the sublime Everything in Transit - Andrew McMahon has done it again. Not quite as good as the first, a couple of fillers this time but nevertheless meaningful heartfelt music.
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br /Beautiful stuff - The So-Unknown, Swim and Hammers and Strings will be three of the best tuines you've heard this year.
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br /If you like this buy everything by The Hold Steady.
Excellent! February 1, 2009
Samantha Stephens (Liverpool, UK)
I bought this album a couple of days ago and have admittedly not removed it from my cd player since it arrived! Like their previous album, Everything in Transit, The Glass Passenger is euphoric and uplifting, with some of the catchiest hooks I've ever heard. However, unlike EIT, TGP is slightly darker, with a more serious sound on some tracks. Not that that is a criticism- in fact, I really enjoyed seeing the comparison and how the band has grown from one record to the next!
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br /My only criticism would be that perhaps the album seems slightly overlong towards the end; the last couple of tracks seem to blend together, and are the weakest of the album. However, for the most part, it really cannot be faulted!
 Not quite the breath of fresh air 'Everything in Transit' gave, but a very good followup. October 6, 2008
Communist (England)
I was introduced to Jack's Mannequin around this time about a year ago, i borrowed the album after liking the track Dark Blue. After playing it several times i started to fall in love with the style of music that Andrew McMahon brought to his songs, hearing the piano as one of the main instruments was certainly new to me.
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br /Anyway, onto 'The Glass Passenger', which for myself and no doubt others was a long wait for the followup, even though i myself only waited a year.
br /And i was certainly not dissapointed, where i believe the tracks on 'The Glass Passenger' are not as catchy and feet tappingly rythmic, it makes up for it in deep, well performed songs that really make you stop and listen to what Mr. McMahon has to say, for example Swim is one of my favourites, well written and you really believe the lyrics are being sung by someone who has had to fight through something that could have killed him, unlike your average clone boy band who sing about losing a girl or something like that.
br /I enjoyed hearing a variety of songs on 'Everything In Transit', for example The Mixed Tape and Rescued both brought something a little different to proceedings, and 'The Glass Passenger' has done the same, with get up and dance songs such as Miss California, the bonus track on the album, to eery echoey piano tracks such as Hammers and Strings [a lullaby] which slows everything down and gives you a chance to reflect yourself.
br /The only 2 songs I think are the weaker on the album are Suicide Blonde and Annie Use Your Telescope, both which aren't bad but are inferior to the other juggernaughts on the album.
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br /In conclusion, this album may not reach the heights of Everything In Transit in my own books, it is a seriously good addition to Andrew McMahon's discogrophy (for those who aren't aware, his other band, Something Corporate are worth checking out too).
br /I highly recommend The Glass Passenger and don't be put off by anything negative, it's worth much more than the price tag in replayability and the effect the music has on you (i find myself still listening to Everything in Transit on a regular basis). 4 Stars
Showing reviews 1-5 of 6
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