Rating:  -
I remember back in 2002, I was heading down to North Carolina with my family and relatives for a week's vacation in a place we had rented down there for a week. Right on Cape Hatteras. We went by car, right from where I live in Rockland, Massachusetts all the way to N.C. I had portable CD player with me, as I always bring it with me on long car trips (now I have an iPod, but that's another story). We pulled to a stop to gas up, and my cousin, who was also listening to a CD, gave me a CD from her collection to listen to for the rest of the ride. The CD she gave me was plain blue, with the words 'JIMMY EAT WORLD' in simple white across it. I had no idea who they were, but I was going to find out. Little did i know that that little blue CD that I was about to put into my discman would be one of the greatest works of music I have ever heard.
1. Bleed American- The title track (before they made the album self titled after the Sept 11th attacks). Fast paced, fun, energetic, and great lyrics. 9.5/10
2. A Praise Chorus- This one captivated me from the first listen. Quickly became my favorite on the album, and still is. Just a wonderful song with great versus and a superb chorus. This is Jimmy Eat World at their finest, right here. 10/10
3. The Middle- If Jimmy Eat World were a one hit wonder, this would be their one hit. It is by far their most well known and popular song, and for good reason. It's cheery, upbeat, great versus and chorus, and you gotta love the 'you can do it, don't give up' lyrics. And the guitar solo is pure bliss 9.7/10
4. Your House- A slower paced song. A nice drumbeat at the end adds a cool, 'stomp your heels' feel. I think it gets better as it goes on. It's the weakest of the first 5 tracks, and that's saying something, because this song is still pretty good! 8/10
5. Sweetness- "If you're listening, WHOoOoOoHOoOoOo!!!" How can you not love the beginning lyric? The way it's sung, just solo voice. Awesome. Fast and catchy. Jim's vocals are amazing here. First song on the CD to incorporate JEW's trademark "aaaaaaa.... ohhhhh...." vocals. Just Beautiful. 9.3/10
6. Hear You Me- A heartwrenching and beautiful song. Mostly acoustic, until near the end, and the electric guitars are incorporated beautifully. Slower paced, and absolutely needs to me to fit the tear jerking lyrics. When I'm dead and buried, I want this played at my funeral. 9.5/10
7. If You Don't, Don't- Following "Hear You Me", faster paced and will get you back to rocking. Quick lyrics and bop-along versus. Honestly, I feel it's the weakest song on the entire CD, and, yet again, still not bad. 7.5/10
8. Get It Faster- After the first minute of slow build up, this one explodes in a frenzy of rock, with more "ohhhh ohhh's" and a brilliant guitar solo/interlude. You have to hear it now know what I'm talking about. It just plain rocks, flat out. 9/10
9. Cautioners- A very simple, somewhat repetitive song. But I don't use the word repetitive in a negative way here. I actually didn't start listening to this song until just recently, and I realized how truly excellent it is. The vocals are perfect, haunting. and the bridge of the angel like 'ohhhh, ohhhh, ohhh's,.... are amazing. Also, great drumming. 8.6/10
10. The Authority Song- Once again, a fast, poppy pickup after the slow "Cautioners". This was one I discovered later on while listening to this CD and was really a suprise. Gets your whole body moving this one does. Not sure what they lyrics mean, but oh well, the music is great. Contains female background vocals, which sound great here ("Hear You Me" also includes female vocals at times). 8.7/10
11. My Sundown- Back to the slow, somber side of Jimmy Eat World for the closing track. And this is indeed their sundown. Rhythmic fingersnaping, a heavy bass drum beat, and more back-up female vocals with an eventual beautiful piano melody to put an end to an incredible album. 8.7/10
I reccomend this album with every once I have in me. It is one of my favorite albums of all time, and you would be missing out on some of the most beautiful peices of art out there. 'Bleed American' is pure gold.
Rating:  -
It's been a long time that I've acquainted to this particular JEW album. I still haven't yet gotten to the others but I'm sure this one isn't just a fluke but I also listen to a lot of other bands so some stuff gets lost in the shuffle. The songs are very easy to get into and it shows that making pop songs is not always watered down and not always a bad thing. Many people have lumped them in "emo" but they are not a stereotypical emo band, although that's really varied in itself. The songs are generally really positive and in some ways I've related to them from time to time.
The album has an amazing four-track punch in the beginning, the anthemic "Bleed American", the poignant "Praise Chorus" and then of course we all know the excellent single "The Middle" and then it goes into a pretty good ballad with "Your House." It's hard to believe they were still pretty young when they made an album like this. It's one of the first I really got into and I still very much enjoy it today. I can pretty much listen to this album in any mood, which happens with some stuff and sometimes isn't as easy as you could wish.
Chances are if you have a JEW album you have this. If not it's not a bad place to start. Admittedly a few tracks toward the end aren't quite as interesting but it still holds strong even now.
Rating: -
Jimmy Eat World are a band that are adept at swinging from one extreme of mood and music to another almost seemlessly. This is the main beauty of their eponymously titled fourth album.
Opening with the heavier beats of 'Bleed American' and 'A Praise Chorus', the band sweep immediately to the other end of their musical spectrum with the gentle more emo-esque 'Your House'. Of all the tracks on the album, (or possibly all the tracks I've ever heard) 'Sweetness' has to be the most insanely catchy number I've ever heard, a cunning fusion of all their musical influences.
The album proceeds to another few infectious tracks such as 'If You Don't, Don't' and 'The Authority Song'. However the band also explore a darker side of their music with the more sombre tracks, 'Get It Faster', 'Cautioners' and 'My Sundown' that add a depth and more alternative twist to the tail end of the album.
Let's hope that this quality offering is indicative of what the band's forthcoming sixth album will be like.
Rating: -
I need to see if they have made another record, because I have enjoyed playing this one so much. I don't dislike a single song on this record, honestly. One of my better investments, along with some records by the Killers, Franz Ferdinand, Spoon, and Damien Rice.
Rating: -
I loved this album but can anyone help me out? Can you tell me what order their other albums came out in?
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