Chase This Light

by

Jimmy Eat World

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As they've plugged away for over a decade, crafting music that wears it's heart on it's sleeve so proudly that it's often mistaken for emo, Jimmy Eat World have managed to not only influence a new generation of bands, but also crank out classic after classic. From 1999's "Clarity" --which still goes by underappreciated to this day -- to 2004's groundbreaking, somewhat experimental "Futures," they have yet to miss a step, simultaneously tinkering and fine tuning their sound along the way. So it should come as no surprise that their sixth studio album, "Chase This Light" contains the standard Jimmy Eat World watermarks, such as huge choruses, clap-along verses and plenty of good-guy, let me be your boyfriend gushing from frontman Jim Adkins. But like it's predecessor, "Futures," they're doing their best to grow with their audience and create songs that are more universal and stand the test of time as more than just anthems for your High School prom. With "Chase This Light," they give us the best of both worlds. The sound that won audiences over with the breakthrough album, "Bleed American," is held intact here with songs such as "Carry You" and "Feeling Lucky," while the band explores other avenues later in the album. "Here It Goes" is an upbeat, almost dance-able throwback to the 80's (and no, not of the wretched Fall Out Boy type) that puts a spin on an album that might otherwise play like Jimmy Eat World on autopilot. Likewise, the creepy, crawly "Gotta Be Somebody's Blues" shows off a darker side of Jimmy Eat World that is rarely explored, and turns out to be one of the better songs of the album. To be truthful, there isn't a bad song on this disc, but the reason why it gets four stars instead of five is because on too many songs, they play it safe. They've shown they can go in new directions and make it work, so why bother churning out the same kind of songs we've heard already? In all honesty, a couple songs turn out sounding like "Bleed American" or "Futures" b-sides (not that they've ever recorded a bad b-side) and that's not a good sign. Even still, fans should be thrilled with this album and as usual, it's something that anyone from any walk of life should be able to pick up and appreciate in one way or another. It's just another good ol' Jimmy Eat World album, and that's okay.

The production gets slicker with every release and with Butch Vig at the helm, well, you get the picture. That's too bad because when you market for a mass audience, the music tends to suffer. So is the case with Chase This Light, Jimmy Eat World's latest release. Futures painted with darker themes but still held some sembelance of hope. Chase embraces the poppiest moments of Bleed American and makes them more so. It's a shame they insist on backtracking than blazing. Also, you have a hard time believing Jim Adkins is still dealing with the woes of a post-adolescent at 31.

That being said, he can still write some decent pop tunes. The songs that stand out are the sugariest, goofiest ones: whether it's the cheesy synthesizers and handclaps on "Here It Goes" or the Angels-and-Airwaves-like chorus of trained seals on "Electable (Give It Up)." "Big Casino" sounds like vintage Jimmy but in a good way, bringing back some of the magic of "Sweetness" while peppering it with high-soaring guitars and clean vocal harmonies.

But for every hook that could spend hours in your head, there's an uninspired dud. The snoozefest "Carry You" and thouroghly annoying "Feeling Lucky" would have been better as b-sides. Some of the melancholy songs (particularly "Gotta Be Somebody's Blues") bring to mind the contemplative sonic soundscapes of Futures, but their inclusion in the album makes them token downers.

In all, Jimmy Eat World plays it safe. The few chances it takes it succeeds, which is why it's somewhat disappointing. It begs the question: why not take more chances? Jimmy has done much better than this. I know I'm not alone in saying that I hope they find ways to push themselves into new territory, regardless of record label aristocracy or slick producers.