For the masses that were bitterly disappointed by the results of the presidential election, Jimmy Eat World's newest album, "Futures," might just offer an escape. Emo is, after all, the music of heartbreak.
Although "Futures" is Jimmy Eat World's fifth album, to many fans who are unfamiliar with the band's earliest releases, it is the equivalent of a pivotal sophomore release. This is the stage in a band's development when the fate of a group is decided. You do well, you're on "Behind the Music;" if you don't, the best you can hope for is minutes on "I Love the '90s."
Complicating the story for Jimmy Eat World is the fact that the group earned their fame with the support of a fan base who knew them when they played smaller clubs, used a lot less production, and were, well, sadder.
New fans danced happily to "The Middle" and "A Praise Chorus," admiring the smart lyrics with a pop sensibility, while the band's original followers may have felt alienated by the optimistic and catchy "Bleed American" (the original title of Jimmy Eat World's 2001 album, which became self-titled after Sept. 11).
"Futures" tries to begin an era of bipartisanship between the two fan bases. The first half of the album continues down the path "Bleed American" began on. The songs are chock full of energetic guitar, layered instrumentation and building progressions.
If it wasn't for the lyrical eloquence that continues to distinguish Jimmy Eat World from its contemporaries and imitators, the early tracks could be easily interspersed into a Yellowcard album. Even if the first half is reaching out to the radio fans, Jimmy Eat World keeps the pop of its previous effort but loses the sugar - don't expect any party songs from this recording.
The title track shows Jimmy Eat World as it enters the political fray. The song begins, "I, I always believed in futures / I hope for better in November."
The first track is acutely representative of the album as whole; it attempts to make an intelligent statement - but not a particularly bold one. While its lyrics are honest about where the band's loyalties lie, the song chooses not to be overtly partisan. It prefers the more rock the vote message of "My darling, believe your votes can mean something."
The second half of the album is more like vintage Jimmy. Beginning after "Pain," which is this album's "Bleed American" and "Salt Sweat" rock out song, the sound becomes spare. Guitar solos are rarer, and the vocals are much rawer.
It's refreshing to hear someone sing about their heart being ripped out of their chest while they actually sound like their heart has recently been ripped out of their chest. The singing isn't painful, though: it's emotive.
This release brings back the themes of songs gone by: lost love resurfaces in "Just Tonight ..." and "Work," self-loathing in "Pain," and disillusionment in "Nothing Wrong."
Many people ask, usually with a hint of skepticism, "What makes a band 'emo'?" Which is a fair question, since all music is emotional - why the new genre?
Emo is a new take on the same old pain. When successful, emo music doesn't just present sad circumstances; it inhabits them. Good emo is like good theater: when done right you feel everything wither the performers. Every sighed phrase, every barely gasped outline, every note plucked out in melancholy on guitar (or, increasingly, piano) is meant to engage rather than merely entertain.
One of the best examples of how good emo can be is the highlight piece on the album, "Drugs or Me." Slight but skilled instrumentation balances against wrenching vocals, as stark lyrics create a musical portrait of longing and desperation. The singer pulls you into to his anguish, forcing you to just close your eyes and listen.
The miracle of "Futures" is that it proves that an artist can make a commercial record without sacrificing creating integrity. While "Futures" isn't new, it is different. More importantly, it sounds like an accurate reflection of where the band is creatively.
Whatever its motivations, "Futures" is a quality album that should be welcomed by old and new fans alike.
