Jack's Mannequin's 'People and Things'

Andrew McMahon pushed the envelope with his piano pop as part of emo heroes Something Corporate and the front man of Jack's Mannequin. On the third Jack's Mannequin album, "People and Things" (Sire), however, McMahon looks back a bit more. Though the first single, "My Racing Thoughts," sounds like a continuation of his previous work, you can hear the Billy Joel influence in the verses of "Release Me" and the "Graceland"-era Paul Simon feel of "Television." The result is a well-crafted, familiar-sounding middle ground that works well for McMahon.

JACK'S MANNEQUIN

'People and Things'

GRADE B+

BOTTOM LINE Looking back, but moving piano pop forward