Jimmy Eat World – Bleed American
(Dreamworks)

My question is this: How does a band manage to write music that is so catchy and painfully radio-friendly while still maintaining their high indie-rock credibility? Jimmy Eat World are a band that I happen to dig, but I find myself having to constantly reaffirm that fact everytime I listen to their music. There are times when they come uncomfortably close to sounding like your stereotypical commercial rock band, but hey, isn’t that what this “emo” thing is all about anyways? In the end, the songs are just too damn catchy for me to second guess.

Bleed American could definitely be the album that thrusts Jimmy Eat World into the mainstream. The fact that they are on Dreamworks means that they have been getting a huge marketing push, and this record is extremely low-priced even in the corporate record stores. The only thing holding them back from stardom is the fact that they don’t have a gimmick. They simply play melodic pop rock songs, and that’s about it. They’re pretty average looking dudes. I happen to like this fact, and I happen to like the fact that they don’t take themselves too seriously. I also must admit that I happen to like this album.

The title track opens the album with a bang. It has a heavier guitar sound than anything I’ve previously heard from them and could potentially have made them popular with the rap-metal crowd if the singing was a little less pretty. I was rather dumbfounded to hear this song being played in the background of an NFL highlight reel on TV, but even then, I still found myself tapping my feet to the rhythm.

Song number two, “A Praise Chorus” is perhaps my favourite song on the album. Catchy and upbeat, it rivals any other J.E.W. song I’ve heard.

Song number three, “The Middle”, is the new single, and as much as the video makes me want to puke, the vocal melodies betray my churning stomach.

As I continue through the other songs on the album, I realize that it’s all pretty good. Other highlights include the song “Sweetness”, with its swirling “whoa-oa-oa”s and alternating stop/start guitar attacks, the duelling guitar riffs in “Get It Faster”, as well as the slow and dreamy “Cautioners”, which is driven by a strangely addictive offbeat rhythm.

The more I listen to Bleed American, the more I get sucked in by the pop hooks and crunchy guitars. Even the cheesiest slow songs had me wanting to hum along after a couple of listens. The lyrics are as lame and empty as anything I’ve heard, but I’ve come to the conclusion that I do not care.

As far as Jimmy Eat World records go, this one is not as good as Clarity, but it definitely comes close. If you can block out the thoughts of mainstream rock and MTV airplay, then by all means, go ahead and indulge yourself. It’s a great record. Just remember, Jimmy Eat World could very well be the next big thing, my friend, so you better be ready to defend your listening habits when the times comes. — Sean