Jimmy Eat World - Futures
October 15th 2004
Let me warn you of a few things before I start this rave review: first, that it will be a rave review; and second that I won’t use any music industry terms (emo, punk, indie, rock, radio-ready, and especially pop) to describe this album. I think it’s downright wrong to criticize any band for moving away from their previous ‘category’ or altering it or messing with it or starting to sound different (God forbid!).
So let me begin by saying right out that Jimmy Eat World’s new album Futures is a masterful collection of music. Not a single track dissapoints, and they all have their merits and profound differences. JEW has taken three years since their last album (’Bleed American’, now self-titled due to political incorrectness), and while you can (and should) hear similarities to Bleed American, Futures surpasses it at every turn. At the same time several tracks echo Clarity with their slow melodic beat and thoughtful lyrics. An evolved sound is definately predominant, with complex layering and driving backgrounds. Nearly every song builds up to an excellent climax, usually just using a slight twist in the chorus or a held note for tension. Whatever it is, it sounds great and these guys know how to play it.
The first track sets the mood of the album; it varies around that point, but ‘Futures’ is the middle ground; a mix of a happy driving melody and a nonstop ending. ‘Just Tonight’ is very similar to ‘Pain’ — both are driving and dark with a great tune and lyrics to match. The slower tracks are ‘Drugs or Me’, ‘Night Drive’, and ‘23′, which are each emotional and musically complex, and very beautiful. ‘Work’ is one of the more upbeat tracks; it has a happy tone to it and is fun to listen to. And finally, ‘Polaris’ showcases Jim Adkens’ wonderful voice with a great chorus of smooth vocals over a complex rhythm. I think ‘23′ is by far the best track on the album — it goes beyond the time boundaries that most songs take these days, reminding of Clarity again, and uses the time well, starting off slow and building into an amazing climax, a perfect end to this perfect album.
I honestly can’t find anything wrong with this album — it may be slightly different from Jimmy Eat World’s previous releases, but their music has continued to shine in the music world, and has only become brighter and more unique. ‘Futures’ is a diverse album, with darker parts, lighter parts, heavier parts, and absolutely beautiful moments — lots of them. The first time I listened to it, I didn’t know what to expect, but by the end of the first track it had me smiling ear to ear, and I think that about says it all.
10/10