I will go ahead and admit that Jack's Mannequin has become a guilty pleasure album.
I will not be starting up a conversation at the pub with the boys by throwing out the line "So I picked up that solo album by the guy from Something Corporate. It's pretty good. You gonna finish those hot wings?" Neither will I be adding it to any Top 10 lists at the end of year, because disclaimers that begin with "Now, before you dump my books and give me a wedgie, I just want to make one thing clear..." are usually best left unsaid. Such is the fate of the guilty pleasure; to be downplayed in public, but enjoyed in private.
When Something Corporate began their musical journey, they were doing so with drivers licenses that were still more or less freshly non-faked. And the music reflected both the energy and naivete of their youth. It was decent enough, but the obvious genre posturing they offered, coupled with some less-than-mature theme choices for songs, made it difficult for too many people already out of high school to take it that seriously. Fortunately for everyone, their first proper album, Leaving Through The Window improved significantly the pop-punk tunes they seemed determined to make. And the emphasis on leader Andrew McMahon's piano playing gave them a unique enough edge to stand out and attract some attention.
Then North came along, and was easily a more consistent and mature release. They proved themselves able to turn out something deeper than just the requisite two radio singles.
And because of their catchy tunes, all the kids cheered. And because the kids cheered, the band kept playing a lot of shows. And then the kids cheered some more. And the band kept playing those shows. And then they stopped touring long enough to take a bathroom break and stock up on some Red Bull. And then Andrew and his girlfriend broke up. And then he did what we all do in our post-girlfriend wallowing: he wrote a whole album and released it to the world.
Article comments
1 - Matt
David--great review. Very well written.
matt freelove
music editor
2 - michaela
andrew mcmahon is a much more talented arttist than you make him out to be, and i dont think you should be writing reviews if thats what youve got to say. stop saying shit about him and soco, cause real fans, with real taste, dont want to hear it. and no one else does either
3 - David R Perry
Michaela,
With all due respect, "real fans" don't need reviews period, as they're already on board to buy the album anyway. If reviews are only supposed to be subjective posturing by fans, there are message boards for that, not review features.
And, uhh... did you completely miss the parts where I said it was a good album?
4 - Tessa
Although I am a huge fan of Andrew and all of his music, it's actually rather refreshing to read a review that critiques EIT without bias (as I admit I am not without myself.)
However, I feel I must disagree with you on the point that the lyrics are like something penned by someone 'trying to be poetic.' I'm a writer myself, and his lyrics are some of the best I've seen yet in the music industry, and most definitely not any old 'attempt' at poetry. Nevermind that he doesn't write poems, he writes songs, which are a different thing altogether.
Lastly, who cares about what your friends think? It's not like they're only friends with you because of your musical preferences (if they are, then there's a problem.)
5 - Jasmine
Its not just a solo album, but its an autobiography of his entire life, not just the breakup with his girlfriend. I disagree with you 100% on not trying to listen to the lyrics, because i think the lyrics are the best part of each track and the music is great too. I think you should give andrew mcmaon more credit, he truly is a GREAT artist in all aspects. I LOVE THIS ALBUM!
6 - Christina
Jack's Mannequin is absolutely the best. The songs are catchy and well-written. They aren't filled with lyrics of slitting wrists and suicidal problems. They're just awesome songs that you can listen to over and over again without ever getting sick of it. I don't know if I've actually been able to play a CD straight through without getting bored, but this one's different. Everything In Transit is definitely the best CD I've ever owned.