Jimmy Eat World - Futures
Futures, predictably, is not a sequel to the hugely popular "Bleed American". It's in Jimmy Eat World's DNA to find success with one album only to frustrate fans on the next album with an album that sounds only vaguely similar to their past one. In this case there's still enough of the pop sound, particularly on songs like "Pain", to not be as big of a shock to fans as the difference between their debut "Static Prevails" and follow up "Clarity".
For the record, I am a huge fan of their debut album, finding the mix of solid guitar driven riffs and airier emo aesthetics on that record hugely appealing. Then they release the dark and introspective "Clarity" which was a hit with the sweater/backpack/glasses shoegazer crowd but failed to appeal in a big way to fans like me.
Fast forward to "Bleed American" and you get another completely different sounding record. One that relied heavily on catchy pop driven guitars that sits at odds with earlier work. Still, being a fan of pop as well, I could appreciate the tight songwriting behind it as did so many others as evidenced by the resulting huge commercial success they found on that record.
Following that album, as if already scripted, they drop the schizophrenic pop/emo "Futures" on a fan base that for the large part has probably never even heard an emo song. This has got to leave a lot of their newer fans scratching their heads. Long time fans will recognize the ambitious scope of "Clarity" era sound coupled with a bigger emphasis on distorted guitars they bring to this record. Because they've kept a focus on keeping the songs somewhat faster than the tracks on "Clarity" I think they've ultimately made this a more satisfying listen for people that can't get into the lighter side of emo.
Regardless of where you sit on the emo fence, it's hard not to respect the level of musicianship Jimmy Eat World have ascended to. The hooks never get bogged down by the complexity of the melodies and the supporting cast of alternate instruments and loops brings a rounded, mature flavor to this record. There's really only a couple of dips into super emo waters with cuts like "Drugs or Me" and "Night Drive" with the latter being tolerable. On the same token, I was surprised by how much I liked the slower "Polaris" which builds from a U2 inspired riff into a surprisingly catchy chorus and powerful bridge that reminds me of the days of old. They close out on another surprisingly enjoyable U2 inspired cut called "23". Yes it has strings and piano. Yes it has tasteful back up "ahs" but like I said earlier, they manage to mix this seemingly much too emo mix into a cohesive, sophisticated whole that can't help but move you with its sincere power.
This album will no doubt turn off the vast bulk of their newfound fans but that's only because it's much more unique and challenging than "Bleed American". For long time fans I think this is a satisfying culmination of earlier work with a more commercially appealing yet complex sound.
For the record, I am a huge fan of their debut album, finding the mix of solid guitar driven riffs and airier emo aesthetics on that record hugely appealing. Then they release the dark and introspective "Clarity" which was a hit with the sweater/backpack/glasses shoegazer crowd but failed to appeal in a big way to fans like me.
Fast forward to "Bleed American" and you get another completely different sounding record. One that relied heavily on catchy pop driven guitars that sits at odds with earlier work. Still, being a fan of pop as well, I could appreciate the tight songwriting behind it as did so many others as evidenced by the resulting huge commercial success they found on that record.
Following that album, as if already scripted, they drop the schizophrenic pop/emo "Futures" on a fan base that for the large part has probably never even heard an emo song. This has got to leave a lot of their newer fans scratching their heads. Long time fans will recognize the ambitious scope of "Clarity" era sound coupled with a bigger emphasis on distorted guitars they bring to this record. Because they've kept a focus on keeping the songs somewhat faster than the tracks on "Clarity" I think they've ultimately made this a more satisfying listen for people that can't get into the lighter side of emo.
Regardless of where you sit on the emo fence, it's hard not to respect the level of musicianship Jimmy Eat World have ascended to. The hooks never get bogged down by the complexity of the melodies and the supporting cast of alternate instruments and loops brings a rounded, mature flavor to this record. There's really only a couple of dips into super emo waters with cuts like "Drugs or Me" and "Night Drive" with the latter being tolerable. On the same token, I was surprised by how much I liked the slower "Polaris" which builds from a U2 inspired riff into a surprisingly catchy chorus and powerful bridge that reminds me of the days of old. They close out on another surprisingly enjoyable U2 inspired cut called "23". Yes it has strings and piano. Yes it has tasteful back up "ahs" but like I said earlier, they manage to mix this seemingly much too emo mix into a cohesive, sophisticated whole that can't help but move you with its sincere power.
This album will no doubt turn off the vast bulk of their newfound fans but that's only because it's much more unique and challenging than "Bleed American". For long time fans I think this is a satisfying culmination of earlier work with a more commercially appealing yet complex sound.
