Frontman Andrew McMahon has been involved in the music industry for a considerably long time. As the previous frontman of punk band Something Corporate, his first Something Corporate album released, titled Ready... Break, was released in 2000, eleven years ago, and the first Something Corporate album released commericially, titled Leaving Through the Window, was released in 2002, nearly ten years ago, so while Jack's has only been active for six years, Andrew has been making music for even longer, and he has gone through a series of eras, as each album sounds radically different from the last, and People and Thingsis no exception. Even when some songs are cut and recycled, each album still manages to have a sound of its own, and this is precisely the case in regards to People and Things, as it is seeming to make every effort to create a new sound, and I do have to give it credit for that; it certainly isn't the same old story.
The album has multiiple editions, something that I wish weren't the case. There is the standard 11-track edition, of course, and then, there is the iTunes digital deluxe edition, which has four bonus tracks, then, there is the Best Buy edition, which has three exclusive, different bonus tracks, and then, there is an acoustic version of "My Racing Thoughts" which is exclusive to the Go! Merch editon of the album, so basically, there are a total of eight bonus tracks which are scattered amongst different editions, but there is one saving grace, which is that the exclusive iTunes bonus tracks are not Album Only, which means that you do not need to purchase the entire album in order to obtain the bonus tracks; you can buy just the bonus tracks. I am thankful for that, because if I am buying music from an artist that I love very deeply, such as Evanescence or Lady Gaga, for example, I will not buy the album digitally; I will buy the physical CD, and in this case, the Best Buy bonus tracks are only available to buy on CD.
I still wish, however, that since there are eight bonus tracks, they would have been released all together as one separate release, but for the purposes of this review, I mean to review the album as a whole, including the standard tracks and all of the bonus tracks. The album opens with "My Racing Thoughts," which is the first single from the album. When I first heard the song, I was a bit disappointed because I had felt that I had definitely heard better from Jack's Mannequin, and while that precise opinion hasn't changed, the song has grown on me, and I appreciate it a lot more than I did when I first heard it. It is a moderately catchy, poppy song that seems to be about some of the complexities of being in a relationship. The album then moves into "Release Me," which definitely has a lot more energy than the first song, featuring a fluttering piano hook that is certainly difficult to ignore. "Television" is a weaker one, seeming to demonstrate Bruce Springsteen influence but really not doing much for me.
"Amy, I" is one of the best songs of the album, but it is an example of what I mean when I say that the album doesn't have as strong of a theme as previous albums. Andrew has said that the song isn't really about anyone in particular; it just came to him, but it's very catchy and, I daresay, has a country feel to it. We then hear a song that I have actually known for quite a while, as it was intended for The Glass Passenger but was cut and is actually the song from which The Glass Passenger draws its title, as the first line of the song is: "Keep your eyes on the road, the glass passenger." The song to which I'm referring is "Hey Hey Hey (We're All Gonna Die)" and is definitely the closest the album comes to The Glass Passenger. The title suggests that the song would be really depressing, but it is far from it; the song is about letting go of fear of death and embracing life, because since everyone is eventually going to die, we're in this together. It certainly stands out on the album. "People, Running" seems to be the inspiration for the title of the album and features a very outgoing, demanding beat, but it has some developing to do for me before I give it the credit that it may deserve.
"Amelia Jean" is what I consider to be the epitome of piano rock, as it is definitely a light, fun rock song about being in love but is completely driven, in my opinion, by piano. Many of the songs, granted, are, but this one is especially. The chorus of the song, as it wistfully calls Amelia's name, is definitely the best part of the song, and it drew me in instantly. I first heard "Platform Fire" quite a long time ago, since Andrew performed it a long time ago and said that he wasn't sure whether or not it was going to make it on the album, but I'm glad that it did, since it is a fantastic song that suggests to be of a similar lyrical nature to "Bring Me to Life" by Evanescence - someone helping you find peace in the chaos. It is energetic and beautiful both at the same time, which is why it works. "Hostage" is a good one that is of a very imperative nature, as he nearly shouts - "I won't hold you hostage!" - the hook of the chorus. The song is about letting a loved one have "alone time" when he or she needs it while reminding him or her that you are there when he or she is ready to come back. There is not a doubt in my mind that "Restless Dream" is influenced by Simon & Garfunkel, since I do know that Andrew is a fan; he has even covered "Homeward Bound," and this has an incredibly similar sound.
"Casting Lines" closes the standard edition of the album, and that is one of the weaker ones. To me, it speaks of remembering your origins while searching for new adventures at the same time, embracing relationships along the way.
At this point, I do not like "No Man Is an Island" at all, as it may be the weakest Jack's song to date. It is very simple, and it is a song to which I cannot relate to at all because of the lyrics. Andrew sings that "no man is an island when a woman's his to hold," and while I do understand that Andrew is, himself, heteroseuxal, he doesn't seem to be speaking about himself exclusively; no, he seems to be reaching out and speaking of humanity as a whole, and not all men are going to have women to hold, as, for some, myself included, when they fall in love, it's going to be with another man. I just feel like part of making progress toward equal rights is not assuming that everyone is straight, thereby shattering the dominant culture. I wish that Andrew had used the word "lover" instead of "woman," as it would have been more inclusive, as I'm sure that I'm not the only gay Jack's Mannequin fan.
"Ten Days Gone" has a very steady, soulful beat, but it is one that I have yet to grow an attachment to. "Dancing with a Gun" is one of the first songs on the album that I listened to, and it is definitely one of my favorite songs on the album, as Andrew's emotions shine through the uplifting melody like no other song on the album. "Broken Bird" is another weaker one that I don't yet love, but it has a heartfelt message about helping someone through dark times; the iTunes deluxe edition closes with "Broken Bird," and the first Best Buy exclusive is "Out of It," another song intended for The Glass Passenger. This song definitely has the subdued, sleepful feel of The Glass Passenger, and I do really love it for that reason. My favorite "new" song, however, is definitely "Locked Doors," a song that my boyfriend, oddly enough, compared to INXS. This song was actually initially intended not for Passenger but for Transit, and that is something that is evident, as it sounds more like Something Corporate than it does Jack's Mannequin, and finally, the Best Buy edition closes with "Keep Rising," yet another song from the Passenger sessions, and it starts off sounding like Sixpence None the Richer but moves into the regular People sound; lyrically, it is similar to "Swim," urging listeners to stay strong, to keep rising from the darkness.
Overall, People and Things is not a bad album, but it's not as good as the last two albums, and I really don't think that that opinion is going to change. "Hey Hey Hey (We're All Gonna Die)," "Platform Fire," "Restless Dream," "Dancing with a Gun," and "Locked Doors" are the brightest highlights of the album, and I do love how some motifs continue to make their presence known, such as stars and planets and sleeplessness. The overall theme of this album happens to coincide with what the producers of Fringe have said is the overall theme of the current season, which is the examination of the effects that we have on one another as people, wondering how our lives would be different without the people that we know and love. I just feel like earlier themes have been more prevalent, such as the theme of starting a new chapter of your life that's present onTransit and the theme of sickness and recovery that's, perhaps, even more heavily present on Passenger.People seems to be more generalized and not quite as personal, but hey, maybe that makes it more valuable.
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