“It’s not band versus audience setup, like what a stage would look like. “What was really exciting about doing these was it’s not a show, so forget about the idea that it has to conform to what a show looks like,” frontman Jim Adkins tells Consequence of Sound. Having watched and participated in other streaming events of various sizes over the last 10 months, Jimmy Eat World were able to learn what worked and what didn’t. Each show came with a virtual pre-show, meet-and-greet opportunities, and exclusive merch, approximating the real concert experience as much as possible without leaving your home. Futures followed two weeks later, and this week on February 12th, they’ll close it all out with their classic Clarity.
#Jimmy eat world albums softer series#
That opportunity finally came last month when the band launched their Phoenix Sessions concert film series (don’t call it a livestream) with a full-album performance of Surviving. They had a big summer trek all mapped out, but when touring shut down do the pandemic, what could they do? They, like everyone else, were stuck, and their fans would have to impatiently wait to hear the new material live. For their latest album, Surviving, they got in 27. Thankfully, though, the bright spots point to a band that hasn’t entirely lost its way, and which still has the potential to get it right on their next album.A typical album cycle for Jimmy Eat World finds them playing about 150 shows. While Integrity Blues has its moments, and they shine very brightly, more than half of the album takes the traditional Jimmy Eat World sound and waters it down for some sort of easy-listening take on an otherwise great band. “Pol Roger†picks the album back up again to end the record on a very strong closer. “You are Free†kicks off the trilogy of three of the best songs on the album with “The End is Beautiful†and “Through.†Then the title track comes in like a very awkward church hymn that leaves Jim Adkins uncomfortably alone with minimal instrumentation. Seriously, I might rank it amongst the band’s top five best songs. “You Are Free†is the standout track of the album, pulling off one of the most beautiful, inspirational tracks the band has produced in a long time. The album finally starts to get good at track seven and, to the album’s credit, the songs that are good are very good.
The album’s opener, “You with Me,†clocking in at 5:18, is about twice as long as it needs to be. The first half of the album is almost completely unforgettable, with the exception of mildly catchy lead single, “Sure and Certain,†with its lukewarm lyrics held up against some decent pop hooks. Everything is on the softer side, which leaves something to be desired from a band that’s so good at creating powerful, energetic music. The first thing you’ll notice listening to Integrity Blues is that it doesn’t have any big, hard rock songs. Where Bleed American is tight and fast, Integrity Blues is an awkward affair that slowly meanders and drags. Perhaps the band started to resent the comparisons to that album, which might explain why, on Integrity Blues, Jimmy Eat World seems to be trying their hardest to make an album that is the exact opposite of Bleed American. Yet, the band did have 10th anniversary tours for the albums that preceded ( Clarity) and followed (F utures) Bleed American, while Bleed American’s 10th anniversary merely garnered a one-off show. In a lot of ways, every Jimmy Eat World album gets held up against Bleed American, and some of their most successful post- Bleed American songs, like “Big Casino,†succeeded because of their similarity to the Bleed American sound. It rocks hard when it needs to, and then slows down to yank on the heartstrings when necessary. It’s the epitome of what the Jimmy Eat World sound can be. Bleed American is the band’s highest selling record, and it launched their mainstream success, for better or worse. For Jimmy Eat World, that album is Bleed American. Some bands have that one iconic album that all of their future albums are judged against.
0 kommentar(er)
