Artist Of The Day: Jimmy Eat World

Ah, Jimmy Eat World. Jumping in on the second wave of emo music a bit late in the game, the band nonetheless released a couple of fantastic records in the day. Alas, though, like many emo bands of the time period, they just weren't able to stick with their sound. The last record that I listened to and really liked was Clarity, so I won't even delve into anything past that (Bleed American fans, hate all you want, I still am never going to say anything good about it).

Static Prevails was the tidy little album that could have been so much more, had Capitol Records decided it should be. However, with all of the pop-punk hits on the album, it's like the entire record was designed for lots of radio hits, which would be instant advertising for the band - and the record company. Unfortunate to say the least, since there are some nice tracks on the record like "Anderson Mesa" and "Seventeen," and the entire album has potential to be like that.

Clarity is the big winner, for me. The entire album has a genuine feel that really sits well with me, much like a refined version of EndSerenading by Mineral. It's also, conveniently, the album that has received the most critical acclaim upon reinspection by most sources. With good reason, too - the entire album is extremely rewarding and easy to listen to from beginning to end. It mixes good old pop-punk tracks like "Believe In What You Want" and "Blister" with emocore songs like "Table For Glasses" and "A Sunday", and concludes itself with a sixteen minute, emotional jam session that is "Goodbye Sky Harbor." It's a wonderfully well written album that is simplistic but complex, upbeat but emotional, and indulges in the emo sound, unlike every record succeeding. It almost brings a marked end to the era of emo (key word being almost: there were still bands like The Gloria Record and The Get-Up Kids that were just getting into swing around this time), and is a sad listen, but at the same time it's really such a great record that when I start listening again, I go on a Jimmy Eat World binge for a couple of days. No regrets.

Listen to the album stream here.