On Tuesday, Oct. 4, 2011, the new Jack’s Mannequin album “People and Things” was released. Simply put, it does not disappoint. From the first song “My Racing Thoughts,” the first single to come off the album, to the last, “Casting Lines,” each song has masterful lyrics and a catchy sound.

            My favorite song off the album is the third track, “Television.” From the first 90 second preview I listened to on iTunes, I knew it would be one of my favorites. The upbeat music throughout is reminiscent of a U2 song and the lyrics, about how Andrew McMahon, lead singer, can’t sleep without his television on, are very down-to-earth and relatable.

            Another one of my favorite songs is “Amelia Jean.” The chorus is extremely catchy and definitely became stuck in my head: “Oh Amelia, I can feel ya.” In the background of the chorus are a few background singers who add to the overall effect of the song by accompanying McMahon during the chorus and singing “I can feel ya when the wind dies down.”

            Overall, the lyrics of each of the songs have a different effect on the listener and each in their own way tells the life story of McMahon.

            This is most evident in the song “Hey Hey Hey (We’re All Gonna Die).” Despite the mildly depressing title, this track is possibly the most inspiring of the whole album. The subject matter surrounds how McMahon was battling cancer and beat it. It was originally supposed to be released on the Jack’s Mannequin 2008 album “The Glass Passenger,” but McMahon wasn’t ready to release it. The lyrics are matter-of-fact and still inspiring, proclaiming, “Hey hey hey, we’re all gonna die, we’re all gonna die, someday.”

            All the songs on the album have their high points. I like all of them, but some of my other favorites are bonus tracks from the iTunes version of the album.

            “No Man is an Island,” and “Ten Days Gone,” are relatively mellow tracks, but nonetheless have gotten stuck in my head. They both have an addicting piano line in them and are perfect tracks for daydreaming and relaxing.

            Overall, “People and Things” is great because of the varied sounds and meanings behind each individual song. I will continue to listen to it non-stop and eagerly await news of a new album.