There's a lot that I don't know, there's a lot that I'm still learning...

OK, so I know it's Friday and technically a day for all things TV, but I'm going to rewind and go with a missed music post from Wednesday. I am going to delve into our first music post with one of my favorite albums at the moment. Actually, it's been one of my favorite albums since its release in September of 2008. Jack's Mannequin, The Glass Passenger, is seriously great at every level. I know there are many out there who would argue that this CD isn't even the best of all his albums. I, on the other hand, love every track on this CD which makes it special in my opinion.

My favorite song from the album is the third track, Swim. It rings with the struggle McMahon faces from his battle with leukemia which he was diagnosed with immediately after cutting his last CD, Everything in Transit. My family is no stranger to cancer and this song particularly struck a chord in me. The lyrics can be applied to any struggle, internal or something physical like an illness. McMahon's voice is impassioned and clear and I find it especially easy to connect with him on this track, even more so than the others.

Each song is a progression through to the next one and the entire album rolls together seamlessly. This is one of the easiest CD's to listen to from track one straight through to the last song.

The other song that stands out for me is Hammer's and Strings. There's something in Andrew's voice that compliments the music so well that it sounds more like you're standing feet away from his piano in a quiet room rather than listening to it pumping through your speakers. As cheesy as this may sound, there is a lot of truth in his voice that really comes through, as if you're the friend he's singing about, lamenting to your friend Andy. Not to mention that this is one of those bands that sounds just as great live as they do recording in a studio. Trust me, I saw them in concert with The Fray a couple of weeks ago and have never really felt anything like that before. Each time he opened his mouth to sing, I would turn to Letty and grin or laugh or suppress a girlish squeal, which is something I refrain from doing a lot. They put on an amazing show and I highly recommend seeing them live. Letty and I decided we would follow them on tour if we weren't decidedly incapable of doing so financially.

I really love this CD and I know that much is obvious, but I heartily recommend that everyone listen to the album at least once all the way through, from beginning to end. You're judgement after that isn't up to me, but then if it were, everyday would spin to a soundtrack filled with Jack's Mannequin.

...Hen