Andrew McMahon In The Wilderness - Zombies on Broadway

Andrew McMahon In The Wilderness
Zombies on Broadway
2017
Spotify

Since leaving Something Corporate ages ago Andrew McMahon is gone through more than just name changes. First He went by Jack's Mannequin then shortly after his debut album was released He found out that He had Leukemia. Time has gone on and we are at the third incarnation of Andrew McMahon, Andrew McMahon In The Wilderness. What is clear is that McMahon can really write a great song as he has proven time and time again yet something feels like it is missing from the first moment you listen to this song. It just feels like McMahon is writing a song HE KNOWS you will enjoy rather than something straight from the heart. A lot of singer songwriters suffer from this, where they can write the hell out of something yet the delivery feels off. There is tons of introspection on Zombies on Broadway but it is really base level resulting in songs about love over and over again. This version of McMahon implements more electronic elements, but the focus seems to still be piano driven at it's base. New York also plays a big role in the album especially on tracks like "Love and Great Buildings" where McMahon says that the only things that really last are, you guessed it Love and Great Buildings. The comparison is quite week and hearing a guy from Orange County, CA trying to force this idea is just off. It's a shame because the music behind the lyrics is really quite beautiful and inspiring.

"Brooklyn, You're Killing Me" feels heavily influenced by LCD Soundsystem's "New York I Love You but You're Bringing Me Down" almost to the point of it being awkward. This is not to say that McMahon should not write about where ever He happens to hang his hat, it just does not have that authenticity to it. We have to give credit where credit is due because the production on this record is really great. It is so nice in your ears as you are surrounded by sound and the big moments are made even larger. The album then lands somewhere in the middle, much like McMahon himself it seems like it is never quite sure of it's own identity. Yet there is something extremely charming about Andrew McMahon and everything that he has gone through. If you could sense that He put more of his personality and raw emotions into this record, we might really have something. Unfortunately the final product is just O,K,

6.0 out of 10