Periscope

Issue date: 9/12/08 Section: Arts and Entertainment

Media Credit: Amazon.com McMahon and Co. take on the inspirational route with their sophomore album, "The Glass Passenger."

Everyone has been through struggles during their lifetime and most have something to show for it. Rock band Jack's Mannequin's front man, Andrew McMahon, can surely say that he does.

In June of 2005, McMahon was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia shortly before the release of Jack's Mannequin's debut, "Everything In Transit". Fans can tell that the sophomore album, "The Glass Passenger", conveys a different story than its predecessor.

The dark atmosphere and musical composition of "Passenger" will leave the listener breathless because of the intensity of the lyrics layered with McMahon's emotion-filled voice.

It seems as though the first track, "Crashin'," started where "Everything In Transit" left off - with infectious lyrics and an upbeat melody to which fans can sing along. The song makes you feel as though you are driving down a road with the wind blowing through you hair.

"Swim," featuring singer Stacy Clark, draws from the inspirational aspect of the album, narrating McMahon's battle with the disease with lyrics like "I'm not giving in, I swim."

"Suicide Blonde" serves a different purpose. It is presented as another sing-a-long for the listener, but still drifts through the musical journey.

"Hammers and Strings (A Lullaby)" should sound familiar to the veteran fans of McMahon's music since the song takes on the same musical arrangement as his previous band, Something Corporate.

The first single, "The Resolution," is a smart choice for listeners to hear first, as it foreshadows the hopefulness of the entire album, sharing his heart through lyrics like "I'm alive, and I don't need a witness to know that I survived"; McMahon's overcoming of the disease becomes prominent in the track.

The closing track, "Caves," possesses every emotion that the album brings lyrically and musically. The nearly eight-minute song starts off as an eerie and haunting melody, with McMahon's voice ghosting over it, and builds into a cacophony of passion and music.

The album closes with the lines "The walls are caving in…there's no one here but me," leaving the listener as the victor alongside McMahon--the victor over all of his battles.

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