It’s been several weeks since the official release of Jimmy Eat World’s newest album, and after giving it a fair number of listens I can still only hope that after the next time through I’ll “get it.” This is coming from someone who will practically fight to the death for Futures’s honor. It hurts to say it, but it’s the truth. Jimmy Eat World seems to be catering to a different crowd, and trying way too hard to do it. With this being said, here’s why I haven’t lost hope for the band.
First of all, my biggest gripe with Chase This Light has much more to do with how it was produced than the basic quality of the songs. After all of the brilliant lines and melodies lead singer Jim Adkins has produced over the years, I would have been able to let some of the lyrical duds on this record go unnoticed. (“There’s lots of smart ideas in books I’ve never read.”) But when Jim’s voice is cheesed up and put on top of a dozen other tracks of way-too-sparkly guitar, uninspired drumming, chirps, hoots, and hand claps it all seems like a joke I wish I could laugh at. My ears are going blind from the brightness of this record. Butch Vig produced Siamese Dream and Nevermind, for God’s sake. How did this album turn out sounding like the Go-Go’s?
Overall, there are a few songs that I do genuinely like. Songs like “Carry You,” “Chase This Light,” and “Big Casino” would all be fantastic if they were stripped down into sounding a little more earnest. “Gotta Be Somebody’s Blues” would have been great if it weren’t so over the top. Since Jimmy Eat World’s break into the mainstream with Bleed American, every album has been made up of a mixture of radio songs and anti-radio songs. This is the first time nearly every song has been over-glazed with TRL-ish mediocrity.
This album will probably make the band a lot of money. If nothing else, I’ll be able to sleep soundly knowing that they’ll be able to eat and maybe push back their bass player’s heroin overdose at least a few years. I’ve selfishly dreaded this band’s further ascent into popdom for years, but I’m not going to hold it against them now. They earned this one. But just this one, okay guys?
Here’s to another two or three years until a new Jimmy Eat World record. I can’t wait.
These guys are coming to play at Assembly Hall on November 16th. As far as I know, good seats are still available.
Check this out if you’ve forgotten how great this band is.
Matt Klomparens: Lend me some sugar, I AM your neighbor.
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the217
Buzz Magazine
Matt Klomparens
Lend me some sugar, I AM your neighbor.
Matt (Matt) says:
(Posted November 1st, 2007 at 5:31 pm)
I totally agree on the mediocrity. I wish they had taken another 6 months to think about the album a bit more. Could have been good. Should I mention that when I do the interview next week? yikes!