Futures
Jimmy Eat World
The Verdict: The excellent tracks feature commentary, ranging from drug abuse to politics, set against a background of memerizing melodies.
4 stars out of 5 stars
When Jimmy Eat World broke through with their 1997 album Clarity, many titled them the originators of a genre of music called emo, defined by life-or-death, heartache lyrics and simple musical arrangements. With the release of Futures, Jimmy Eat World proves they are still the kings of emo-rock, even if they’ve left maudlin music behind. Following the success of their last album Bleed American (later retitled Jimmy Eat World) and its ubiquitous hit “The Middle,” Futures delivers emo-rock for a more grown-up pallet. The over-sentimental lyrics haven’t changed, but Jimmy Eat World have added more instruments and intricate sound arrangements that give the band a darker tone that’s a departure from the glossy, pop-punk of past songs like “The Middle.”
Futures begins with a heavy, almost Creed-like guitar riff leading into lead singer Jim Adkins’ beefs with our current administration on the title track. J.E.W. clearly get political with this rocker where they show their disdain for our current president, singing, “I always believed in futures/I hope for better/in November,” and show that greed conquers even the most successful people: “We close our eyes while the nickel and dime take the streets/completely.”
On “Just Tonight,” he sings of his weakness of drugs: “I taste you all over my teeth/never again/Just tonight?/Okay,” and how the bond he has with drugs is too strong to forget: “We’ll never be the same/never feel this way again/I’d give you anything but you want pain,” all backed by zigzagging guitars and fast-paced drums reminiscent of a Blink-182 ballad.
Liz Phair stops by to lend backing vocals on “Work” which sounds like “Divorce Song” off Phair’s Exile In Guyville and the perfect follow-up to their current hit “Pain.” Adkins wails about how he knows he didn’t try too hard in the relationship but blame rests on her shoulders as well: “The love we make is give and it’s take/I’m game to play along/…Can’t say I was never wrong/but some blame rests on you.”
The brooding, acoustic weeper “Kill” lets Adkins pine over the girl he lost because he was too insecure to tell her how he feels. He knows he’ll end up alone, but still gives out hope: “I can’t help it/this is who I am/Sorry but I can’t just go turn off how I feel/ I loved you/and I should have said it/but tell me,/just what has it ever meant?”
On the lackluster “The World You Love,” the only song that doesn’t quite make its mark on the CD, Adkins uses drugs to cope with losing his lover who left him for that reason. But he promises he’ll quit if she takes him back, singing, “It doesn’t seem there’s hope for me, I let you down/but I won’t give in now/ not for any amount.”
The haunting, operatic drug ballad “Drugs or Me,” which is possibly the best song on Futures, portrays a lover who numbs Adkins for a short time like drugs: “You promise that you’re done/but I can’t tell you from the drugs,” but he wants her to help him in a way drugs can’t: “Keep my heart/somewhere drugs don’t go,” all backed by beautiful symphonic strings and harmonies that take the listener out of their sense, ironically like a drug high.
On “Polaris,” Adkins has to break up with his lover, but doesn’t want to for fear of not being able to cope with out her love: “When you go I’ll let you be/but you’re killing everything in me.”
The quasi-heavy metal rocker “Nothingwrong” lets J.E.W. angrily chant about retaliating against current injustices and taking action instead of standing back and doing nothing to change the situation: “Hold them down, our bleeding suspects/turn them off, our blacklist singers/we’ve done nothing wrong/but we’ve done nothing,” with heavy bass pounds fitting the song’s tone perfectly.
Adkins delves into territory more suited for a night after a high school prom on “Night Drive,” a glimmering, slow-pounding, ethereal sing-a-long about literally making love in a car and more poetically, remembering first loves and holding onto those memories through bad times: “We could stay here/stay out all night/no one would know/ us and the moonlight/ Kiss me with your cherry lipstick/never wash you off my face/ leave me with the love we make.”
Soaring synth riffs start off the last and certainly stunning song on Futures, “23,” a transcendence ballad full of floating harmonies and gorgeous guitar riffs more suited for a classical album. Adkins sings of giving a girl all he has to offer and wondering why she won’t just return the favor, telling her she’ll be alone if she doesn’t take a chance on him: “You’ll sit alone forever if you wait for the right time/What are you hoping for?/I’m here, I’m now, I’m ready/holding on tight.”
Jimmy Eat World prove they’ve grown up on Futures if only for the fact that Gil Norton (The Pixies, Foo Fighters) produced the album or the fact that their music is becoming more interestingly complex. They sound more like a rock band than an emo band. They continue to prove their staying power and gift of writing heartfelt lyrics about love lost, love wanted and drugs found through love lost. With fist-pounding rockers and sweeping, epic ballads, Jimmy Eat World have certainly changed from their last album, but Futures still stands to be an instant classic among devoted fans and will definitely win over new fans who’ve never given emo a chance. By adding layered vocal harmonies and gripping keyboard and string arrangements, Jimmy Eat World allows the songs on Futures to breathe free and take on a deeper meaning. All the songs are not as radio-friendly as “The Middle,” but are equally as catchy and will leave listeners singing along to every one.