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Jimmy Eat World (review)

Jimmy Eat World (review)

Jimmy Eat World (review)

While I have certainly heard some of their catchy hits in Jimmy Eats World‘s 20 years of existence and I may even own 1 or 2 of their previous albums on ye ol’ mp3, I don’t consider myself hugely familiar with the band’s overall canon. So, I am coming at this with somewhat fresh ears.

 

Also, I am very good about ignoring what exactly constitutes ’emo’ and ‘pop-punk’. Sure, I have used those terms while writing about music, but I have never fully subscribed to them. This is very good in the case of Jimmy Eats World, because rather than getting hung up on classifying their rock sound, I can concentrate on the pop hooks, songwriting, and emotional content.

 

So what about this album (first since 2010)? The lack of specific characters or detailed stories in these 10 songs leaves me a bit cold, but the heartbreak and angst are successfully delivered, in spades, with enough crunch that addiction takes hold. Yes, you may have heard ‘I Will Steal You Back’ or ‘No, Never’ on the radio recently, but count more on ‘Lean’ and ‘You Were Good’ to connect.

 

What I am really interested in is how Jimmy Eat World delivers these new songs at the National in Richmond on 8/10. Given the band’s live reputation for deftly showing the depth of their catalog, I am sure its going to be a cathartic experience no matter what.