AUTHOR'S NOTE:
This is an entry into my own 'Buried Treasure Write-Off,' which I would love for you to join if, in this bustling metropolis called Epinions, you have a spare moment of time. Details here.
And then, along came Bleed American. The 2001 'Sgt. Pepper' for the until-then smalltime indie cult that brought Arizona outfit Jimmy Eat World not only into the limelight, but into the glare of a teary-eyed generation of emo teens; Bleed American was as much a work of art for it's delightful, fun-filled hooks as it was for it's laid-back underproduction and faux unplugged guitar parts. Futures, my friends, is
not like that. So get over it.
The first thing you might well notice upon stumbling over Jimmy Eat World's shimmering fifth studio album in a record shop is that it looks 'kinda darker' than any of the band's other covers. I mean, what better way to make the 21st-century public think you're deep and meaningful than to put a lone guy standing outside an out-of-order telephone booth in the dead of the night? Put away your reserves or the swelling hope inside of you that Futures will be Bleed American or Clarity(their previous work)'s clone, and do pick it up on your way out. It's not as infectiously immediate as it's predecessor, no, but it's the fruit of a band that demands to be taken seriously, and it is one
epic of a glowing, lovesick masterpiece of modern songwriting.
So, what's changed? Well, in the excruciatingly painful wait between albums (3 years) Jimmy Eat World have decided that 'cheating doesn't get it faster;' in fact, most of the songs on Futures seem to detail either chasing endlessly after the girl of your dreams, or alternatively indulging in excessive alcohol and anonymous romance to find a temporary escape route from pyschological traumas (see their follow-up EP
Stay On My Side Tonight for further light on that subject). Let's not go so far as to call it a 'concept album,' but it's brilliant, it's sickly sweet on occasions, and, best of all, the CD cover
isn't a gimmick - Futures is so deep, you may have to set aside replay time slots for the reward's treasure to be fully reaped. Surely not a process for the empty-hearted or those little on time. But a step above Bleed American all the same.
The only thing here approaching anything as catchy as in previous years is the upbeat first single 'Pain,' a peppy hard-rocker that blazes with machine-gun guitar riff and a slamming hook 'Takes my pain away!' This serviceable number is like the moody side of lead singer Jim Adkins exposing itself in the most radio-friendly way possible, yet peel away the swathe of minor-key riffing and you'll rediscover a fun-deprived ticker about frustrating, subtle addictions.
And if 'Pain' is the disc's prime time, the title track is there to kindle the flame. Leading in with some optimistic harmonized introspection and truly wonderful, soaring riffwork, 'Futures' is a song which, according to the diary of Adkins, is about greed. Who else could come up with such metaphors as Jimmy Eat World'
'I try, the same losing lucky numbers
It could be a cold night...
For a lifetime
...Say hello to good times,
Trade up for the fast ride,
We close our eyes while the nickel and dime take the streets,
Completely.'
These boy-grown-up lyrics aren't what one would expect, but again, it's a band showing signs of maturing and blossoming like crazy. If not, bow to it's sheer feel-good-ness.
And then there's the resounding ballads, a time when Jimmy Eat World alternate between keyboards and 'oooh' harmonies, plus
Liz Phair makes her appearance to nudge up the group's slow dance cred. 'Kill' and 'Polaris' bring out the acoustic guitars in a heavy way, the modern cornerstone of distinguishing rock song from ballad, and indeed the removal of the remaining sheen permits Adkins' heartfelt phrases to build to a cry: 'You're killing everything in me,' he echoes in the latter's breathy couplets.
'Drugs or Me' is the supreme of slightly disconcerted eclectic keyboard-based numbers, filled with regretful descriptions of the results of various hallucinogens. 'Work' is arguably the album's very best, featuring a slowly diffusing riff backed by slick, appealing vocal work. It's another song where the man's obvious heartache prevails, and Liz Phair's gorgeous coos in the chorus only extend the means by which it's truly divine. 'The World You Love' adds more disillusionment to the palette, reeling gradually up to a pretty if not unanticipated emotional outburst and clean guitar solo to boot.
'Night Drive' is probably the worst song Jimmy Eat World ever wrote. Note: that doesn't make it bad, Adkins' intricate lyricisms and metaphors ('You pierce my heart like a willing arm') are still there, but it is severely hampered by overlength and lack of momentum which drags it out into the middle of nowhere. And then there's '23.' It's hard to describe such a masterfully-crafted and bittersweet lovesong as this. To lay it down concrete, it enters with a simple guitar lick. And then - it just
swirls into one moving sway of layer upon layer of musical genius. And it doesn't sound anything like the Jimmy Eat World of three years ago. The chorus can boast an eerie synthy froth, pristine electric guitar, delicate vocal trills (and backing 'ahhhs'), and a tinkling piano somewhere in the sub-audible sonic space between it all. The percussive urge keeps this ambitious sidewinder from sinking, and the epic grandeur eventually lifts into a screeching guitar solo, preceding it's intimate final chorus.
Yes, Futures is 'dark,' but then again, this is as close to the heart as music will ever get; yes, it does have it's production values, but the bittersweet notion underlining it keeps the band's brave step forward from turning into unfocused mush. Ultimately, the release is the gears grinding of a band who've decided they want some degree of timelessness, rather than just catchy melodies over power chords, and with regards to memorability, Futures is a hard contestant to beat.
Track List [x indicates standout track]
1. Futures [x]
2. Just Tonight
3. Work [x]
4. Kill
5. The World You Love
6. Pain [x]
7. Drugs or Me
8. Polaris
9. Nothingwrong
10. Night Drive
11. 23 [x]
Similar Artists: The Cure, Acceptance, Jebediah
Heavy: No
Swearing: No
FURTHER READING
Stay On My Side Tonight EP
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Thank you.
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