Jack's Mannequin struck a chord two albums ago in 2004, just as frontman Andrew McMahon was diagnosed with acute leukemia. Years later, after a full recovery and two successful studio albums, McMahon has finally hit the jackpot with the third Jack's Mannequin studio album People & Things, set to be released October 4th.
The album was coproduced by Relient K frontman Matt Thiessen and associates of Green Day's production crew, which gave People & Things a slightly altered sound compared to previous releases.
The opening track, titled ""My Racing Thoughts,"" speaks for the entirety of the album. It portrays tension and release simultaneously through a simple piano melody, which may very well be the goal of the album overall, if the rest of the tracks are any indicator.
The album feels like a simplified version of your classic techno-garage-rock band jam, brought back to a more basic, easy-to-listen-to collection of songs. The end result was fantastic, I already knew that I was going to get into the album.
The next track, titled ""Amy, I,"" is of the same caliber as the first one. Although it stays true to Jack's classic style, the low-key chord progression is strangely reminiscent of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. The melodies are new and comforting, but still gave me goosebumps to continue throughout the album.
As the album progresses, the sound changes. ""Television"" is definitely a new twist on the usual flair of Jack's Mannequin music. It contains traces of the sounds produced by Something Corporate, McMahon's first band formed in high school.
""Television,"" a central track on the album, seems to be more of an experimentation than the rest of the album. The song seems to me to actually be about relationship tension. The message gets a little lost through the repetitive chorus, but I find the song captivating anyway.
""Restless Dream"", the tenth track on the album, is another twist in the People & Things plotline. It seems almost as if it came from left field. Its low and slow movement leaves me feeling dull and understimulated. My first impression was that I was hearing just another cookie-cutter-uplifting song; however, I also found that it got stuck in my head, so it's not all bad.
One of the best tracks Jack's Mannequin has recorded to date is titled ""Release Me."" With a marginally rock centered rhythm, it pushes forward with a hidden energy that Jack's Mannequin may not even have known they had.
It builds and builds with frantic energy until it releases the tension mid-verse. The first time I heard the song, I knew that this would be a highlight track on the album.
The song was the last one recorded for the album, but it should have been the first. It captures the true vitality of People & Things even more so than the opening track. After years of songwriting and battling sickness, McMahon has really hit the jackpot with this song and with the album in its entirety.
It incorporates all the people and voices working on the music together. In their third studio release, Jack's Mannequin manages to bring together a great collection of tracks that culminate in a beautiful and poignant album. The album is so distinct and focused; it is exponentially better than any other Jack's Mannequin album released thus far. If there is a CD to invest in, this is the one to spend your hard earned dollars on. Overall, I will give Jack's Mannequin's People & Things a well-deserved A.
