Spring Break
Jimmy Eat World takes a step into the past with "Futures"
Cory Levine
Issue date: 10/29/04 Section: Arts & Living
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Jimmy Eat World fans can rejoice and relax. After the monstrous success of their breakthrough self-titled album (known to true fans as "Bleed American"), the band has returned to the music that made them the underappreciated rockers that fans of old kept as a charming little secret.
In the vein of 1999's "Clarity," the track listing on "Futures" features a blend of straight guitar rock and soft poetry that lilts along like whispers through your speakers. The track listing is almost split down the middle between songs that will make you want to rock hard and songs that will make you want to lie in bed with the lights off. The band could have released this album as two distinctly different EPs rather than a full-length, and both would have been instantly recognizable as Jimmy Eat World.
Lead singer and guitarist Jim Adkins is, and has always been, the driving creative force behind Jimmy Eat World. His lyrics invariably raise the bar for modern rock. His writing is above and beyond what passes for lyrical quality in this era of popular music.
While the rest of the band members do little individually to impress, they do an excellent job as a whole, creating a cohesive backdrop to Adkins' powerful voice. He proves his versatility as a front man by singing with raw emotion on tracks like "Kill" and "Nothingwrong," while also ringing so clearly and precisely on "23."
Old and new fans alike will appreciate the duplicity of "Futures." Jimmy Eat World is the closest thing to unadulterated rock and roll that you're likely to find among the new releases in your local music shop. They've built their house on top of an anthemic brand of music that nobody has yet bested.
Yet, there's a softer side to Adkins' and the boys that had almost gone forgotten. With "Futures," they have reopened the door to some of their most effective and enjoyable music. By stripping away distortion and adrenaline-fueled vocals and replacing them with ambient, minimal instrumentation and soft, poignant crooning, Jimmy Eat World offer their listeners an enjoyable counterbalance to their more popular trademark rock.
"Futures" is a unique blend of music for rockers and for dreamers. Prior to achieving mainstream success, this is what drew a cult following to Jimmy Eat World. They have returned to their past and in doing so have passed the unavoidable "sell-out" test with flying colors. Rather than resting on the laurels of sell-out crowds and platinum records, the band has revisited what got them where they are - a bit of a thank you to the old Jimmy Eat World followers and a stellar offering for newer fans.
In the vein of 1999's "Clarity," the track listing on "Futures" features a blend of straight guitar rock and soft poetry that lilts along like whispers through your speakers. The track listing is almost split down the middle between songs that will make you want to rock hard and songs that will make you want to lie in bed with the lights off. The band could have released this album as two distinctly different EPs rather than a full-length, and both would have been instantly recognizable as Jimmy Eat World.
Lead singer and guitarist Jim Adkins is, and has always been, the driving creative force behind Jimmy Eat World. His lyrics invariably raise the bar for modern rock. His writing is above and beyond what passes for lyrical quality in this era of popular music.
While the rest of the band members do little individually to impress, they do an excellent job as a whole, creating a cohesive backdrop to Adkins' powerful voice. He proves his versatility as a front man by singing with raw emotion on tracks like "Kill" and "Nothingwrong," while also ringing so clearly and precisely on "23."
Old and new fans alike will appreciate the duplicity of "Futures." Jimmy Eat World is the closest thing to unadulterated rock and roll that you're likely to find among the new releases in your local music shop. They've built their house on top of an anthemic brand of music that nobody has yet bested.
Yet, there's a softer side to Adkins' and the boys that had almost gone forgotten. With "Futures," they have reopened the door to some of their most effective and enjoyable music. By stripping away distortion and adrenaline-fueled vocals and replacing them with ambient, minimal instrumentation and soft, poignant crooning, Jimmy Eat World offer their listeners an enjoyable counterbalance to their more popular trademark rock.
"Futures" is a unique blend of music for rockers and for dreamers. Prior to achieving mainstream success, this is what drew a cult following to Jimmy Eat World. They have returned to their past and in doing so have passed the unavoidable "sell-out" test with flying colors. Rather than resting on the laurels of sell-out crowds and platinum records, the band has revisited what got them where they are - a bit of a thank you to the old Jimmy Eat World followers and a stellar offering for newer fans.