Jimmy Eat World – Invented

I love Jimmy Eat World. I’m not an uber-fan like some people who can recite every song by them at a drop of a hat, but I love them. They will always hold a special place in my heart for being the first punk show I ever went to and for delivering some of my all time favourite release. They’re a band that I can pull out whenever I need that a pick up me – something moving, powerful and emotionally stirring. That’s the type of music Jimmy Eat World has consistently delivered over the years.

Sadly, their seventh and newest album, Invented doesn’t have that spark to it. It lacks that emotionally stirring aspect which takes away from the beauty that is Jimmy Eat World.

Not every song falls victim to the lack of emotional pull and when they hit it, they show how they’ve been able to remain a staple in the scene for so long. Coffee And Cigarettes falls softly between Bleed American and Chase This Light with a simplistic but evoking imagery and a rousing chorus. Jim Adkins’ vocals soar in one the higher energy tracks of the album; and if you get the deluxe version you’ll be treated to an acoustic version of the song as well that showcases the softer side of the song.

The seven minute long title track is an epic Jimmy Eat World song in every definition; it’s the song that should have completed the album and pulls on the Clarity era structure. It remains slow and subdued for most of the track with acoustic instrumentation and softly delivered lyrics which are some of the best on the album. Then, out of nowhere, it explodes to a full instrumentation and completely blows the listener away.  Mixtapes follows suit admirably and remains equally impressive with a more pointed delivery and repetitive outro that we’ve come to expect from the band.

Scattered throughout the album – mostly at the start – there’s a few other enjoyable cuts like Evidence, Movielike or the lead single My Best Theory. Despite my generally positive description of the album thus far, there’s a lot of songs that simply don’t live up to the Jimmy Eat World moniker. Even tracks that stand out – like Movielike – pale compare to what they’ve done in the past.

For you see, the album just feels uneven and, in some cases, uninspired. Yes, it grows ever so slowly on you but even after countless listens – it still fails to deliver the same powerful attraction that they’ve previously done. It’s especially disappointing after the phenomenal Chase This Light. Songs like High Devotion (a heavy rocker), Stop (a slower Futures era sounding song) and Cut (a soft acoustic number) never fully capture on their potential. They have moments that shine through but normally fall into background music and rarely features the visual imagery and heartfelt lyrics that evoke the love for the band.

So for every good track, there seems to be one that’s equally as bland; and for every break out track, there’s one that’s simply forgettable.  I’ll still play Jimmy Eat World on a frequent basis but there’s only a few songs here that are strong enough to make it into my heavy rotation while most of it works solely as background music.