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Jimmy Eat WorldPULLING OFF the impressive feat of retaining indie credibility while debuting on a major label, Jimmy Eat World emerged from Mesa, Arizona in the mid-'90s with their catchy, heartfelt blend of rock and emo. Equally adept at huge, sing-along choruses as they are at intelligently articulating the kind of sentiments that everyone can relate to, the four-piece have carved out a niche for themselves while refusing to be pigeonholed. Dropped after their second album on Capitol, who seemed confused as to how to market them, JEW raised a middle finger to their former paymasters by self-financing the brilliant 'Bleed American', the record that broke them to a huge audience. Releasing albums of enviably consistent quality and with an energetic live show that pushes their rockier side to the fore, Jim Adkins' band have fostered a dedicated following through remaining committed to what they do. And doing it better than everyone else. 
Name: Clarity
Label: CAPITOL
Year: 1999
Review: Glorious is perhaps the best word to capture the essence of 'Clarity'. Overflowing with flawless melodies backed up not only by magnificent musicianship but a ton of heart, this is the album that renders the label 'emo' redundant. Every note and syllable resonates with the kind of heartfelt emotion we'd like to think is poured into everything we listen to. 
Name: Bleed American
Label: DREAMWORKS
Year: 2001
Review: Forced to change the name of the record to 'Jimmy Eat World' in the wake of 9/11, the bands' third album saw them taking a far more rocked up, anthemic direction. While slightly less intricate, the radiant melodies remain in force and the sheer exuberance driving the whole thing ensured that they deservedly picked up a ton of new fans. 
Name: Futures
Label: DREAMWORKS
Year: 2004
Review: Sticking largely to the formula of 2001's 'Bleed American', 'Futures' mixes crunchy, rockier numbers with delicate, fragile songs, everything shot through with heart and honesty. While the title-track is a stomper to die for, 'Kill' and epic closer '23' proved that their grasp of heartrending melodies and soul-searing sentiment is only getting stronger. 
Name: Static Prevails
Label: CAPITOL
Year: 1996
Review: It's tricky to pull a wild card from Jimmy Eat World's career because there has been little in the way of curveballs, so their first album 'Static Prevails' will have to suffice. Inarguably yielding numerous gems, it's the sound of a band still forming their identity, which makes it an overall marginally less satisfying listen than the records that followed. 
Name: Singles
Label: BIG WHEEL RECREATION
Year: 2000
Review: Again, far from a bad record, 'Singles' does what it says on the tin and cobbles together various recordings from the earliest stages of their career. Displaying a predictably rawer sound with far lower production values, 'Opener' and 'Untitled' still stand among the finest songs they've released but elsewhere it's very much a hit and miss collection.
Key Jimmy Eat World Tracks |
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