When you listen to almost nothing but guitar rock, it’s hard to not immediately roll your eyes and label a band as “sensitive” or “dramatic” when their songs are instead dominated by piano.  Indeed, there are a lot of obvious pitfalls to avoid for bands who prefer 88 keys to 6 strings, but the truth is that when done right, a rock song written on piano can actually be pretty awesome.  And while there are a number of notable contributors to the genre, I can think of no better example of how great piano rock can be than The Glass Passenger, the new album from Jack’s Mannequin.  Unsurprisingly, given singer/songwriter Andrew McMahon’s recent battle with leukemia, the usual connotations (such as “sensitive” or “dramatic,” as I mentioned above) are completely inescapable, but the important thing is that he makes it work.

Indeed, despite the inherent weight of the subject matter, there is a distinctly sunny, west coast vibe to most, if not all of the 14 tracks here.  Along with the unavoidable melodrama that accompanies tinkling major-key piano arpeggios, is an underlying current of optimism and hope.  There is a delicate balance between the emotional vulnerability of what is a very private and profound redemption, and more universal themes that make up the lyrical content of some of the catchier choruses.  “I’m alive, but I don’t need a witness to know that I survived,” McMahon sings on “The Resolution.”  Rather than dwell on past experience and harp on his own personal battles, he looks beyond himself to try and catch a glimpse of the big picture, transforming his songs into a celebration of life.

All of this could easily be trite and hammy if not approached very delicately.  Luckily McMahon knows what people want to hear, and his knack for composing infectious pop hooks is highlighted here by impeccable arrangements.  The double-time chorus of “Bloodshot,” like much of the album, demands to be cranked up on your stereo, so that the majestic synthesizers and multi-tracked vocals can properly wash over you and truly achieve catharsis.  When some bands employ predictable chord progressions, it can grate on your nerves for their lack of ideas and imagination.  But when Jack’s Mannequin pulls out the very same bag of tricks, the technique is executed so flawlessly that the familiarity is comforting instead of tired, speaking an innate language that you don’t realize you speak until it’s been conveyed so perfectly and you find yourself singing along.

Though it is probably heresy to suggest this to diehard fans of the band, I feel like the weakest part of the album is probably the vocals.  Everything is certainly well-written, while the tasteful orchestrations and production always serve the songs, but McMahon’s singing is sometimes overworked.  When the choruses kick in and his voice is doubled, soaring over the band rocking out at full volume, he sounds great.  But when the arrangements are stripped down for a more hushed dynamic, the songs beg for restraint in the vocals, which he only manages about half the time.  That said, when the vocal delivery is spot on, his voice is absolutely capable of carrying the song – case and point, “Drop Out – The So Unknown,” one of the standout tracks about halfway through.

I feel like The Glass Passenger is the kind of album that could potentially be the soundtrack to your life, but you would have to completely give yourself to it first.  It’s up to you, really; if you can recognize that a Bruce Hornsby-influenced piano interlude could possibly have its place in a song, and the song could still be great (as is the case with the opener “Crashin’”), then this could be the album for you.  It’s true, it took me a little while to get to that point, but I think the journey was worth it.  I will admit that my wife makes fun of me for listening to Jack’s Mannequin, but not nearly as much as she does when I put on show tunes, so you can reach your own conclusions.  My advice is to not bother apologizing to yourself and just embrace some unabashedly sensitive piano rock, because sometimes it’s cool to be so decidedly uncool.

Hey Everybody,

It seems I’m WordPress illiterate and can’t embed a video.  I know, I know.  Eight year olds can embed videos.  But not me apparently.

So go over to YouTube and check out my application for the Evil League of Evil!

Evil League of Evil Application

And just in case you’re not familiar with the League, you should go watch Dr. Horrible.  Several times.

Dr. Horrible