There are few bands left in the world today that are just generic, good rock bands. Jimmy Eat World bears the burden of being one of those bands and unfortunately, the group is constantly plagued with critics and fans attempting to brand them with a label.
That said, Jimmy Eat World's latest release, "Chase This Light" on Interscope Records, is another step in the right direction from a band that believes in taking its time to do things right. The band's last release prior to "Light" was 2004's "Futures," an incredibly underrated album that failed to follow up the chart success of the breakout 2001 hit "Bleed American."
Jimmy Eat World's various albums have teetered along the lines of many genres, from emo to pop. Admirably, the band has consistently recorded good old rock albums that reflect the group's collective feeling and state of being during production rather than the cravings of their fan base.
Based on previous releases, "Chase This Light," could have gone in two very different directions. The band could have either made another amazingly dark album or opted for a more commercially successful remake of "Bleed American." Luckily, the band chose to do what every band should always do when making a record: record the songs you like.
The history of Jimmy Eat World is constantly plagued with success, both in the popular market as well as the underground scene. The band's 1999 record "Clarity" was an immense hit with the subdued Sunny Day Real Estate rock crowd, with the song "For Me This is Heaven" rapidly becoming a cult classic.
"Clarity" wasn't a pretty record on the surface, and it followed that it was unsuccessful in the charts, leading to the band being dropped by Capitol Records soon after the release.
With "Bleed American" and the massive success of the single "The Middle," Jimmy Eat World was presented with a decision: to go pop, or to not go pop. "Bleed American" showcased a happier Jimmy Eat World, but the band didn't reach to make the sound more accessible; the album just happened to reflect the good state of events in songwriter Jim Adkins' life.
2004 saw the release of "Futures," the long-awaited follow up to "Bleed American," and many were severely disappointed in the album in its first few months. "Futures" is a dark, sad and depressing album. The album cover art perfectly sums up what the album is about: a man standing alone in front of a dark and dusty payphone booth, unable to make whatever call he's contemplating. The first and most successful single from the album is fittingly called "Pain," and it is the happiest song on the record.
"Chase This Light" reflects yet another personality of the group. With most of the members of the band settling down with significant others and success finally becoming stable, lead singer Jim Adkins doesn't really have much to be down about, and it shows in the songwriting.
The first track on the album and first single, "Big Casino," has Adkins declaring, "I'm the one who gets away/ I'm a New Jersey success story," and he is.
"Catch This Light" plays like a swatch of paint samples. It progresses from happy to forlorn as the tracks move forward. The last track, "Dizzy," is the shining star of the album, and the time put into its production and its placement in the album order signifies that the band knows it. "If everything I meant to you/ You can lick and seal and fold in two/ Then I've been so blind," croons Adkins.
"Chase This Light" is a celebration of the loss of love and the hope that, one day, we can lose it all again. Thus, the album can be best described by another line from "Dizzy": "This must be how it feels when the feeling goes away."
For those in the market for a quality rock album, heed this warning: When faced with the "Jimmy Eat World" section at Newbury Comics, spend the extra $10 on "Futures" as well as "Chase This Light."
The next time someone steps on your heart, you'll be glad you did.
