The Glass Passenger

Jack's Mannequin's debut album Everything in Transit was released in August 2005 through Maverick Records. A few months before its release, frontman Andrew McMahon had been diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia and spent several months undergoing chemotherapy treatment.[1] His sickness shifted his focus from writing new music to getting better.[2] Jack's Mannequin played its first concert following McMahon's diagnosis in December of that year.[1] The band began several tours over the next two years, both supporting the likes of O.A.R. and Panic! at the Disco in 2006 and also headlining shows, including Tour for a Cure and the West Coast Winter Tour.[3] McMahon had waited until he recovered before he began the writing.[4] He soon went through a period of writer's block after being unable to convey his illness through his songs.[5] Around this time, he was working on Treaty of Paris' debut album Sweet Dreams, Sucker for his label Airport Tapes and Records.[6]

By July 2006, he had worked through the writer's block and was writing alone in a studio.[7] He said the material was specifically intended for the next Jack's Mannequin record and was reminiscent of the Postal Service and Beck's Sea Change (2002).[7] With the touring cycle for Everything in Transit finishing in March 2007, McMahon focused on writing new material, though he was unsure if it would be for Jack's Mannequin or his other band Something Corporate.[2] After writing "Crashin", McMahon wrote much more material. Most of the songs that would appear on the next record were written in summer 2008, though a few tracks, like "What Gets You Off", were written earlier in July 2007.[5] The band had planned to tour in October, however, due to the constant touring over the preceding 14 months, McMahon suffered mental exhaustion and physical fatigue. The tour was cancelled as a result.[8] They accumulated newly written material in October and November.[5]

The album's main tracking sessions took place at 4th Street Recording in Santa Monica, California, with engineer Spencer Guerra, and Sound City in Van Nuys, California, with engineer Adam Fuller.[9] McMahon used the same production team—Jim Wirt and CJ Eiriksson—from the Everything in Transit sessions:[4] McMahon and Wirt assumed producer duties, while Eiriksson handled co-producer and engineering roles.[9] Bandmate Bobby 'Raw' Anderson did additional production, while Max Coane took on other engineering. Further recording was done at a variety of studios with or without secondary engineers: Pedernales Studio in Austin, Texas, with Jacob Sciba, Jared Dodd and Bobby Huber; Sunset Sound in Hollywood, California, with Grahm Hope and Clifton Allen; Fox Force Five Recordings in Hollywood; Ameraycan Studios in North Hollywood with Alek Edmonds and Mat Camara; Paramount Studios in Hollywood with Nicolas Fournier; Rock Xentral in Sherman Oaks, California, with Jose Alcantar; Studio Delux in Van Nuys; and Blue World Music in Dripping Springs, Texas. Neil Couser handled additional engineering on "What Gets You Off", as did Pete Martinez on "Suicide Blonde". Chris Rezanson contributed additional programming on "American Love".[9]

McMahon wanted to make a "very organic" and "natural-sounding" album that stood apart from a few of the "more digital approaches" used when recording music.[10] These sessions marked the first time McMahon worked in the studio with his backing band, which consisted of Anderson, bassist Jon Sullivan and drummer Jay McMillan. McMahon mentioned the studio dynamic changed slightly having his band in the studio with him, giving it a more familiar feeling.[4] Wanting to have the album "feel played", as opposed to "chopped up and doctored", a lot of ideas were shared among everyone in the studio—six or seven people at any given time.[10] McMahon had some trouble with his label Sire/Warner Bros. Records, which was in the process of internal changes. Among other things, he was unsure who he was supposed to play his music to, and who oversaw the recording budget. Occasionally, the recording process was halted until details had been settled with his label.[11] Most of the recording was done by December; additional vocals and overdubs were tracked later that month. The album was planned to be mixed in January,[5] however, the business process began to overwhelm the recording process. McMahon decided to take a sabbatical that month instead.[12] He learned of a friend's plans to go on a surfing trip in Costa Rica and drove to New York, before the two flew to Costa Rica.[13] Recording eventually concluded in May, with a total of 24 songs being tracked.[14] Chris Lord-Alge mixed the recordings, while Ted Jensen mastered them at Sterling Sound Studios in New York.[9]

The album's title The Glass Passenger is taken from "Hey Hey Hey (We're All Gonna Die)",[15] a track written early in the writing process.[16] Ultimately, it was not recorded for the album[15] but appeared on the band's next album People and Things (2011).[17] McMahon said it was symbolic of his fragile state in the days leading up to his diagnosis.[15] He wanted to avoid writing "the cancer record" as he described it, preferring instead to tackle other themes that had cropped up in his life—the most common being able to find "light in the struggle [of getting through life]".[5] The material dealt mainly with the aftermath and recovery from his illness and his new-found perspective on the world.[4] Musically, the album's sound has been classed as power pop,[18] with comparisons being made to Ben Folds,[19] and McMahon's piano playing being described as reminiscent of Bruce Hornsby.[20]

"Crashin" is about suffering from writer's block[21] and being able to get through it.[5] The pop rock track "Spinning" has quiet verses;[22] it features McMahon harmonizing with Stacy Clark.[23] McMahon was in the post-recovery stage of his treatment dealing with posttraumatic stress and depression. One night, he wrote several words on a piece of paper. When he woke, he saw the word "Swim"; he viewed it as a sign to pull himself out of his issues.[24] "Swim" became the song with which McMahon felt he would overcome his problems.[25] "American Love", alongside "Bloodspot", channels new wave[22] with additional keyboards by Patrick Warren, and horn instrumentation by Grooveline Horns.[9] McMahon had trouble writing it initially, until he looked through his journal. He highlighted phrases written in the preceding six months and wrote verses with these lines in them. They describe a person struggling in a bad situation.[26] "What Gets You Off" is about the recovery of McMahon's libido.[22] "Suicide Blonde" features new wave-style guitar parts,[27] alongside McMahon, Wirt and Anderson playing kazoos, and Sullivan using a talk box.[9] "Annie Use Your Telescope" initially lasted for two-and-a-half minutes, until Wirt suggested it be extended.[28] It features strings, and Sullivan playing the upright bass.[9]

"Bloodshot" features reggae-influenced verses[23] with McMahon, McMillan and Sullivan providing hand claps and stomping.[9] McMahon said it was a character study of people other than himself.[5] "Drop Out - The So Unknown" is a power pop track, in the vein of Folds.[27] "Hammers and Strings (A Lullaby)" is an ode to the piano and has its origins during McMahon's time in Something Corporate.[29] "The Resolution" and "Caves" talk about McMahon's battle with cancer.[30] The title for "Caves" came from the name of the rehearsal space where he wrote it.[31] McMahon came up with the song's piano hook after hearing it in his head at 2:00 AM.[30] He got up, went to his piano and began writing the track,[5] which he tried to avoid writing as he "wasn't sure [he] wanted to live it again".[30] Each verse of the latter track is about a different occasion while he was in hospital.[31] The first half of track has McMahon playing the piano and singing in a falsetto before the piano speeds up and fades out, prior to the full-band performing.[23] The second half of the song addresses the aftermath of him leaving the hospital.[30] "Cell Phone" is an outtake tracked at the end of the Everything in Transit sessions but was left unfinished at the time.[5] Its theme is relationship-centric; while recovering from his illness in the studio he re-listened to the song and re-wrote it.[32]

Jack's Mannequin performing during their club tour, November 2008

In February 2008, the band went on a US college tour,[5] followed by an appearance at The Bamboozle festival in late May.[64] In July, the band participated on the Warped Tour,[65] before supporting Paramore on their headlining US tour in July and August.[66] In October and November, the band went on a club tour in the US titled Hammers and Strings: An Evening with Jack's Mannequin and The Glass Passenger. During the tour, they performed The Glass Passenger in its entirety. The group was supported Eric Hutshinson, Fun and Treaty of Paris on select dates.[67] In January 2009, the band performed a few shows in Japan, before appearing at Soundwave festival in Australia in February and March.[68] Following this, the band performed two shows in both Germany and the UK, and then embarked on a tour of the US in April and May.[69]

Dubbed the Father from the Earth tour, the band was supported by Matt Nathanson, Low vs Diamond and Erin McCarley.[70] Before the tour took place, a number of dates in both April and May were cancelled initially without an explanation.[71] Shortly afterwards, the band issued a statement mentioning they had received a tour offer from the Fray. McMahon said he was "very interested but had not wanted to reschedule shows" as presale tickets had been sold.[72] However, when he learned Jack's Mannequin would be given a 60-minute support slot, it "gave [him] solace in the midst of a difficult decision."[72] The cancelled shows were rescheduled with dates in the fall.[72] Between mid-June and early August, the band toured with the Fray across the US.[73] After this, the group appeared at the Reading and Leeds Festivals in the UK.[74]

Professional ratings

Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
Metacritic	63/100[75]
Review scores
Source	Rating
AbsolutePunk	88%[23]
AllMusic	[22]
Alternative Press	[27]
Entertainment Weekly	C+[76]
Melodic	[77]
PopMatters	[78]
Rock Sound	7/10[20]
Rolling Stone	[79]
Spin	[80]
Sputnikmusic	4/5[19]

The Glass Passenger debuted at number eight on the Billboard 200 having sold 49,000 units in its first week.[81] It also reached number two on Digital Albums,[82] number three on Alternative Albums[83] and Top Rock Albums,[84] and number 10 on the Top Tastemaker Albums chart.[85] "The Resolution" charted at number 27 on Alternative Songs[86] and number 28 on Triple A Songs.[87] "Swim" charted at number 34 on the Adult Top 40 chart.[88]

The Glass Passenger received generally favorable reviews from critics, according to review aggregation website Metacritic.[75] Melodic reviewer Andrew Ellis said McMahon had successfully followed Transit with a record that was "similar, yet somehow different" than his past work.[77] Though he mentioned it might not "seem as initially compelling" as Transit, the "glorious" melodies were clear evidence that the band surpassed the sophomore slump "with flying colours".[77] Annie Zaleski of Alternative Press noted that it was considerably "more complex and sophisticated" than Transit, writing that a person does not need to know McMahon's life story to "relate to and resonate with his music", which in turn makes it "a fantastic, special album".[27]

AbsolutePunk staff member Drew Beringer said the album's "variety and diversity" removes it from Everything in Transit and other pop releases.[23] He felt that both McMahon's lyrics and song structures "continue to get better" as he "cement[s] himself as the current scene’s best pop musician".[23] Sputnikmusic emeritus Athom wrote that the majority of the tracks, despite being rooted in "typical pop-rock like broken hearts and separation", managed to pull off "as surprisingly personal".[19] Though McMahon's lyrics "occasionally falter", they come across as "stronger than they've even been" in spite of his vocals "occasionally fall[ing] short".[19] Rock Sound's Iain Moffat said McMahon did "a fine job ... exploring [mid-to-late-80s AOR with a] seldom-ploughed furrow".[20] Erica Futterman of Rolling Stone referred to the album as "a candid portrait of survival", adding that McMahon "made a more honest album than many of his emo peers".[79]

Entertainment Weekly's Jaya Saxena found the lyrics "often revealing" as McMahon comes across as "a bit bored" with him "forc[ing] clichéd metaphors into power ballads".[76] Making it two-thirds into the album to "the genuinely heartfelt 'Hammers and Strings (A Lullaby)'", it's "too late; the ratio of cheese to sincerity is just too high".[76] AllMusic reviewer Andrew Leahey wrote the album's introspective narrative "sometimes pales in comparison with the summery songs" featured on Transit.[22] He added it may not contain pop hooks like those on Transit, but it "does stay afloat under the weight of McMahon's past, which bodes well for the songwriter's future work".[22] PopMatters editor Evan Sawdey referred to the album as a "half-baked collection" of tracks which "lose sight" of McMahon's strengths to focus more so on a "grandiose sense of self-importance".[78] He did note it featured "even more orchestral flourishes, towering choruses, and dramatic lyrics" than those that graced Transit.[78] Spin writer Jon Young said the album "match[es] hyperemotional melodies" with McMahon's "tender voice on dramatic tracks".[80]

All songs written by Andrew McMahon.[9]

Personnel per booklet.[9]