Jack's Mannequin; Their people, their things.

When former Something Corporate singer Andrew McMahon released his first solo album under the Jack's Mannequin monicker in 2005, it was under less than favourable circumstances. A few months previous, he had been diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia, and was given the decision to release the album while ill and not tour, or postpone it indefinitely. He made the decision to put out the album, "Everything In Transit", and it was instantly heralded as his best work by critics, and sold very respectably, hitting number 37 on the Billboard charts. The album, very strangely, contained harrowing foreshadowing of his soon-to-be discovered illness in the lyrics and occasionally sounded very ominous; despite the album being an anthemic, summer pop record. Despite the odds, he eventually recovered, and it was soon to be clear that "Everything In Transit" was not, as was possible, to be his swan-song.

On the first anniversary of his diagnosis, he mustered the strength to play a charity benefit show, and from that point onwards, it was only a matter of time, recovery permitting, that he would return to music. In his first album since his health struggles, 2008's "The Glass Passenger," he breached his time in hospital with unwavering confidence, and on 'Caves', the album's highlight, painted a picture of powerlessness and despair that was painfully vivid, and more importantly, honest. The album was patchy - it left many fans disappointed - however it had such good moments on it, that there was no love lost for the still fledgling singer/songwriter.

The first striking thing about the new album, "People and Things" is the layered, prettiness of the whole thing. There is not a moment without bright pianos and keys, and there are seemingly infinite layers of strings blanketing each song. The treatment given to the album in the studio is so thorough that every moment of pessimism in the lyrics seems to have it's own little musical counterpoint. "Amy, I" holds one of the biggest hooks of the album, and is, aptly, slated to be next single. The song is in many ways a perfect still capture of the album. Both the record's strength, and weakness is in it's pop sensibility - too often is creativity and lyrical substituted for a simple melody and a catchy chorus. Andrew himself admitted that "Amy, I" was just a random phrase that came to him while writing - which begs the question; where are the considered epithets seen in past releases? On one of the album's highlights, "Hey, Hey, Hey (We're All Gonna Die)", the old magic is recaptured, and in one of the rare moments where it doesn't sound like a pop-rock band, we're reminded of what this project actually is - Andrew musing thoughts sung over his piano. Referencing his previous album, and singing "Keep your eyes on the road, I'm the glass passenger, and I sing for a travelling band." it is one of the most poignant moments on the album. The fact that this song feels nostalgic and makes you look to the past, not to the future, both shows how far they've come, and, sadly, how far they've strayed. The following "Amelia Jean"and "Platform Fire" keep the standards high, before the record stumbles into the last three tracks which seem soft - sentimental numbers that don't quite strike home.

This album is literally soaked in unabashed emotionalism - there is not a moment where Andrew does not decry a relationship in his life, or a moment of revelation. It is positive on his part - it looks to the future, but is firmly rooted in issues, self-doubt and relationship stories. Nothing more is a testament to this than the opener "My Racing Thoughts", on which he discusses his relationship with his wife, and how she understands him and his troubles unlike anyone else. It bursts with melody, though leaves you feeling a bit shortchanged by the end. The chorus feels flat, and the relentless guitar and keyboard melodies are overindulgent and not as strong as previous singles. "People, Running" has pace and drive, and is most likely a take on his hectic touring schedule, and looking on life from the outside. It is most certainly a mood album; an album you can live in for it's duration. The music is consistently satisfying; there is no doubt to that. It's problem lies in the weakness of a few of the tracks, and the general feeling that there could be more to it all. They still sound very much the same, and considering that many a year has passed since their last release, you'd hope that they would have something fresher, and more exciting to offer.

It is a beautiful thing, his recovery, and life without Jack's Mannequin, for many people, would be a huge loss; important music; important songs missing from their lives. But it all harkens back to the greatness of his debut, Everything In Transit, and the comparison that you cannot help but make. It is almost impossible for Jack's Mannequin fans to not put any new material in context, and there is a generalised feeling of fans every time a new album is put out; apprehension and pessimism; that it may not be able to hold a candle to the aforementioned album. There is a lot to this album - it sounds great, it has fantastic hooks, and there is depth to the songs, both in the music, and in some of the lyrics. But there is the feeling that it is incomplete, and lacking the satisfaction of previous releases. The Glass Passenger was promising, and if this album is what they've been promised, it, so unfortunately, falls a little short. That said, this album is affecting in a way that many other albums released this year have not been, and addictive; a soundtrack that is extremely nice to have in the background as you move around, on journeys and home alone. Like many others, I still believe that there will be a magnum opus from Andrew McMahon in future years. It's important to remember that disappointment does not equate a poor performance, and out of context, this is a great album that just seems to keep growing. Recommended. 4/5

Dog Problems; The album that almost never happened.

When musicians Nate Ruess and Sam Means were dropped by Elektra records at the tender age of 21, they must have thought it was all over. They had just given their latest demos to their label's A&R team, typically anxious and profit dependant, and been given a less than favourable response. These demos, of course, were not the sunny, bubblegum pop hit singles typical of the band that they had signed aged just 18; they were experimental, conceptual, Harry Nielsen, ELO and 70's pop inspired songs - radically experimental with instrumentation, with thick and self-specific narratives sugarcoated in lush synth lines, and swirling melodies. And those were only the demos - a meagre taste of the full-fledged concept album of loss, heartbreak and acceptance that it was to become. So what did they do next? Released it themselves. It was a chance - the chance only an artist who truly believes in what they were doing would take, and a decision that they will no doubt never regret.

Opening with "Matches", the album sets the scene. The narrator is dwelling in his home alone, feeling estranged from his other half; he sighs"You don't seem to tire, when i'm not around." Continuing the story, "I'm Actual" begins with an uninhibited plea for attention - "Can we please take this hour and talk about me?", delivered by Nate Ruess' naked voice unaccompanied, and building into a tense waltz complete with a string arrangement and leading accordion. A few tracks later and with the story unravelling, we have the mid-point of the album, the title-track "Dog Problems" where seemingly everything reaches a head. The frolicking horns pause for a moment mid-song, and Nate Ruess' vocal pierces the piano chords to softly sing some of the album's most gutwrenching lyrics -"Can you hear me, are you listening, this is the sound of my heart breaking. and I hope it's entertaining, because for me, it's a bitch." After this, suddenly, instruments move in, and the song builds with to a huge crescendo of orchestration that makes the end of the Beatles' "A Day in the Life" sound like a whimper. From there, it's right back to business..

Continuing with "Oceans", one of the poppiest and most catchy tracks on the album, the narrator is mournful, yet aims to get his life back on track;"Why am I scared of people in a room? Why can't you see a good time, are the people close to you?" Later, "Snails", the name-sake of the album, is a slow ballad about the narrator's dog leaving home, musing about living life slowly and appreciating the small things. "The Compromise," which boosts energy levels, is an incisive critique into major label politics, and told through deliberately thinly veiled dancing metaphors and carries one of the best choruses on the album."Inches and Falling" returns to anguish with a desperate cry for any form of meaningful relationship over rollicking drums, stabbing horns and a chorus that cries for a gang vocal and loud singalong. After all of this, there is only one way to go, acceptance. Enter "If Work Permits". The perfect conclusion to the album, the narrator feels nostalgia over the sights and sounds of his empty home and the experiences he has had, expresses sailor metaphors and comes to the conclusion that he"Could use a warm kiss, instead of a cold goodbye". In the ultimate moment of catharsis which comes after the drastic change in dynamic, when he huge distorted guitars kick in; he thinks about his one time lover and shouts"If she seems as lonely as me, let her sink." Curtains close.

Released in 2007 Dog Problems is the indie-pop magnum opus that the Format overcame adversity to create. Brilliantly telling the tale of a failed romance, and creating an album that strangely sounds more like a west-end musical than most possibly any record in the pop-rock pantheon. Stylistically, there has never been anything quite like it, even the comparisons to instrumentation of ELO and noting the storytelling, theatrical delivery present won't touch the originality of the indie-rock infused post-modern musical that is the album. Breaking up shortly after the album's release, Nate and Sam have ensured that this will be their latest and greatest release together - a swan-song that will, as fate would have it, never be followed. Coming so far from their debut release on major label, this record is proof that a few years of maturation can change anything and everything. If there was ever a ringing endorsement for beauty and meaning in suffering, this album would be it.