The 2017 Jester One Music Top 20 Countdown - #18

#18 - Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness - Fire Escape

Two years ago, Andrew McMahon surprisingly ran all the way up to #2 with his smash hit Cecilia And The Satellite. Suffice it to say, I was eagerly anticipating the release of his newest disc "Zombies on Broadway", even though Cecilia was really the only song I cared for from an artist who I had never really enjoyed before. My write-up on that song can be seen here. As for "Zombies", McMahon ventures into unknown territory with a heavier dose of pop stylings over alternative/indie production. There's a lot of bad autotune, bad synths and... well, chumpy lyrics. It's definitely a disappointing follow up, but it did manage to land at #43 on the Top 200 and #5 on the Top Alternative chart.

Through all of that, it IS still a vintage McMahon hit. Catchy sing-a-long parts, jingly piano overtones, booming chorus. It's a classic love song with the bizarre "swingin' from the fire escape" imagery woven in. The video tells the tale of two wacky waving tube people falling in love and causing general mayhem everywhere they go. It's definitely a sweet video and I would say it's probably my favorite from 2017. In an age where bands don't put much thought into turning videos into stories, McMahon has done a wonderful job making something cute and hilarious. This song fell just a few hundred thousand short of 10 million itself.

Title: Fire Escape
Artist: Ander McMahon in the Wilderness
Album: Zombies on Broadway

Previous #18s
2016: House of Heroes - In The End
2015: New Found Glory - Selfless
2014: Bleachers - I Wanna Get Better
2013: Biffy Clyro - Black Chandelier
2012: Santigold - Disparate Youth
2011: House of Heroes - Galveston
2010: Rammstein - Fruhling in Paris
2009: Sick Puppies - I Hate You