Skip to Content, Navigation, or Footer.
Thursday, March 28, 2024
The Observer

Jimmy Eat World's bright "Futures"

Jimmy Eat World is not a young band, but "Futures," only its second major release, proves the future of this band is not to be doubted. In its first album since 2001's "Bleed American" (the title changed to "Jimmy Eat World" after 9/11), Jimmy Eat World shows a greater maturity and depth in its music on "Futures." The Mesa, Ariz. based band has climbed to popularity through developing a strong following of fans that eventually catapulted it to fame. The band has put out many great songs, but it outdoes itself in "Futures."Jimmy Eat World, composed of Jim Adkins, Rick Burch, Zach Lind and Tom Linton, has a very unique sound, mixing elements of indie rock and modern rock, thus producing songs composed of catchy melodies with a harder edge. The rougher side of Jimmy Eat World is made more apparent on "Futures" in thicker guitar parts and songs with a scratchier tone. The approach works. "Futures" retains the distinctive sound of Jimmy Eat World but adds an enriching and mature ingredient to the mix, thus creating a terrific album with 11 out of 11 great songs.There are a lot of great songs to talk about on "Futures," but one that stands out above the rest is "Just Tonight..." It is an exciting and upbeat rock song dominated by fast percussion that can barely keep up with the guitars. Adkins voice carries along with the song in a perfect balance, neither dominating the song nor getting lost in it. Singing, "We'll never be the same / never feel this way again / I'd give you anything but you want pain," Adkins brings the listener along for the fast ride that is "Just Tonight..." "Night Drive" is the strongest slow song on "Futures," which changes its tempo a lot, although it is dominated by songs with a faster pace. The guitar playing slowly at the beginning of "Night Drive" pulls the listener in and engrosses him with a solid, emotional sound. Again Adkins sings the perfect melody, allowing his voice to stretch into a higher register at certain moments. "Night Drive" flows almost unnoticeably into "23" which is not listed as a track and is equal in beauty to "Night Drive." The songs are both of a more melancholy and serious nature, proposing ideas such as, "You'll sit alone forever if you wait for the right time / what are you hoping for?" in "23." "Night Drive" is of the same serious tone: "Kiss me with your cherry lipstick / never wash you off my face / hit me, I can take your cheap shot / leave you with the love we made." "Futures" hits the fast, slow, serious and fun song solidly on each measure. Jimmy Eat World has been around for a long time, and apparently has just kept getting better and better. "Futures" shows the bands continually growing potential and is an album that no Jimmy Eat World fan will be able to stop listening to for weeks.