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chase this light jimmy eat world

Jimmy Eat World: Chase This Light

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by Michaela Annot

Jimmy Eat World: I Am Bored. Naturally, it’s all your fault; subjecting me to three-quarters-of-an-hour’s worth of middling, gloopy radio rock that actually sounds like it’s a double album’s worth of over-produced slop compressed and shoved into a single disc.

Your previous, oddly-lovably insipid emo has merely become a large bowl of wretched, inappropriate, adult complaining. You remember how in Clueless the heroine-to-be, played by Alicia Silverstone, complained that her ex-brother only listened to Complaint Rock? Well, essentially, she was pre-empting your new record by an impressive 12 years. Even up to Bleed American there was something rather cute about the grown-man-in-denial stance you’d taken. I’ll admit I really rather liked you. A lot. But now it sounds like a set of middle-aged men wedging themselves into some cargo shorts. Earnestly. And then slipping on some sensible brogues to avoid fallen arches. You’re a mess.

I blame the record company for actually letting you produce your own album. I didn’t realise that alternative rock albums were meant to sound so slick and polished you could play air hockey on them, but hey. Whatever works in your modern rock format. You used to be cool, because you were a little edgy, but so, so profoundly geeky. Now you’re neither. You’re a failed emo piano concerto.

But most of all, these songs really blow, man. Way to top-load it with three half-decent tracks at the start, but beyond ‘Big Casino’, ‘Let It Happen’ and ‘Always Be’, it becomes the most interminably dull collection of over-wrought ballads like ‘Carry You’ and the suicidally bad ‘Gotta Be Somebody’s Blues’ or limp-cocked guitar non-anthems like ‘Electable (Give It Up)’ and ‘Feeling Lucky. I can’t even bring myself to scrape my ears over the finishing line; why on earth would you throw two demos that WEREN’T EVEN GOOD ENOUGH TO MAKE THIS ALBUM onto the end of my ‘UK edition’? Haven’t you treated us like cunts enough?

I used to like you, Jimmy Eat World. Now I feel dirty.

Screw you.

*sob*

Still see you at Brixton Academy though, yeah?

  • Jimmy Eat World 3 / 10

Hmm...

Completely disagree with this. it's a great album, packed full of top tunes. 'Big Casino' is one of the singles of the year for me and 'Dizzy' is one of the best J.E.W. songs in a long time!


The above +1

Totally disagree with this review. I think when compared with the bands outstanding previous 3 efforts it does perhaps fall short. But to go from that to a 3 just aint happening. It's no classic, but it isn't shit and is easily a 7 for the likes of Dizzy and Always Be, and I think saying the first three songs are average was just for dramatic effect.

Also the bonus stuff is a Universal policy, they do it on 99% of albums. I figured the reviewer might know that. I guess the backlash was always coming, but that's fine, good songs always stand the test of time and trends, and theres enough good stuff here, even if theres not as many as their usual standards suggest.


Yep, review sucks.

I didn't like it much on first listen, but I've now decided that the whole thing has a lot to offer. Some great songs on here, definitely.


Don't like the review much

but agree its a pretty weak album, first 3 songs aside.


the bonus tracks

are actually quite good. and i'm not a fan of bonus tracks


jeez

it took you 4 weeks to write this review?


and

no ears by the sounds of it


fucking hell

why even bother reviewing it if by your own admission you've not even listened to the album all the way through? Fucking worthless.


I seriously love this band.

...but equally, this album is poor and depressing over-produced and middle of the road.

sorry.

I got angry at this band...


I totally agree

This album sucks. I personally think its a 2 not even a 3. It's some polished crap. Ideal for kid parties


I think this review...

...is a little bit silly.
The album's not even that much of a radical departure from JEW's (admittedly) better stuff of old.
"Slick and polished?" Yes.
"Songs really blow?" No. Throwaway comment.
7 for me.


i can't see

how a site can claim any sort of credibility when they review an album without having heard the whole thing.

Anyway, I like this album. Not as great as the last three, but it's still really good. Here It Goes is the pop song of the year.





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