Wow…..I’m quite excited about my first real time music review. My wife surprised me this past weekend by coming home with Jimmy Eat World’s new album “Chase This Light”. I was extremely excited and immediately decided that it would be my first real time music review. Being that I was in Arizona I had to wait 4 whole days to finally sit down and listen to the album….As of this moment I still haven’t heard even one second of the album. I’ll do my best to describe what I’m listening to and how I enjoy it now…..all in real time.
Big Casino
:00 – Upbeat first song like previous albums
:40 – “there’s a lot of smart ideas in books I’ve never read, when the girls come talk to me I wish to hell I had” hehe funny
1:00 – The hook….not too catchy
1:30 – When I was younger I was someone you would’ve liked….lots of people feel this way about J.E.W. now….i’m hoping this album refuels my JEW gas tank.
2:30 – noticed they’re saying “Lord” quite a bit….is this a prayer? Hrmmm I prayer song about a lottery.
Song: 7/10
Let it Happen
:00 – starts with an easily recognizeable JEW riff.
:37 – No clue why but Jim’s voice seems higher.
1:15 – whoa….sounded like Coheed and Cambria with these vocals which isn’t a good thing.
1:34- The hook of this song is much catchier than Big Casino. “Say whatever you want cause I can laugh it off”. That’s one of my life mottos =)
2:40 – repetitive songs are my absolute pet peeve and this song seems to repeat too frequently for my own tastes
Song: 6/10
Always Be
:00 “snappy” beginning
:15 – storyteller song and I’m intrigued.
:40 – “you can’t keep safe what wants to break” amen brother.
:50 – best hook yet on the album….this really is where JEW excels.
2:10 – This feels like the feel good song on the album…Chase This Light’s “The Middle” if you will.
Song – 7.5/10
Carry You
:00 – Acoustic guitar starts up another fast ballad…..give me something HARD Jimmy!
:40 – Ewww….I’m not digging the song, the hook better be good man.
:55 – Dang girl….the hook let me down on this one. Too much time between lines in the hook and it leaves me hanging wanting more yet wanting it to end at the same time.
2:00 – “I could never be the one that you want…Don’t ask” Lots of love songs so far. Looks like they got over their drug trip and now they’re hooked up on chicks.
3:04 – This song is trying way too hard. I’m a sucker and I know it’ll grow on me but the first time through I’m not thrilled about it.
3:45 – They threw the pansy card on this one and it really can be redeemed by something that rocks….come on JEW give it to me!
Song – 5/10
Electable (Give it up)
:00 Could be the rock song I wanted
:10 – anger in his voice….that’s promising
:29 – dang it…the song went in the other direction. The instruments are so close to being the hard song I’m dying for but the lyrics and vocals are falling way short.
1:15 – “Give it up, ohohohohohoh” over and over. This songs killing me.
1:35 – “I want to scream” DUDE!!!! Scream! That’s what I want!
2:15 – seriously JEW….take your own advice. Give it up with this one.
Song – 4/10
Gotta be Somebody’s Blues
:00 – acoustic guitar with some sympathy coming behind it. Nice sound for sure
:20 - lets see what the lyrics and vocals do
:27 – drums come in and I’m really liking this so far
:50 – “let the water come, she’s the only one I love” Another love tune…
1:20 – the lyrics haven’t killed it….but where’d the symphony go?
1:40 – hehe there it is. Light violins helps this songs along and I can feel the breakdown coming.
2:20- “who will sing their blues for them” sympathy song.
2:55 – “When you’re feeling moves you can have your conscious all you want” Chose an odd line to emphasize by dropping the instruments behind the vocals.
4:11 – another instrumental piece which has carried this song all the way through.
Song – 5.5/10
Feeling Lucky
:20 – catchiest song yet
:40 – bordering too poppy
:50 – “suck that lucky feeling out of me” I love the word suck in any song…Mika is my favorite example.
1:35 – vocals remind me of Authority Song. Not as catchy but not bad.
2:10 – wow..short song but that’s all the song had left in it I guess.
Song – 7/10
Here it Goes
:00 whoa…never heard a JEW song start like this. Sounds like John Mayer
:34 – here comes the hook….
:35 – underwhelming hook but followed by fun guitar and snapping. Good save here
1:20 – Hey he said suck again! Good job JEW…way to suck!
1:45 – I’m getting really anxious for “Pain” “Bleed American” or “Your New Aesthetic”.
2:07 – Oh no…”HEY HEY HEY HEY” really puts the Village People in m y head “Macho Man”
2:39 – The one constant is Jim Adkin’s vocals. He sounds as great as always though I could go for some more whining.
Song – 6/10
Chase This Light
:00 – Title Song….this should be good
:28 – drum line “because tonight the world turned to me” Setting me up for a good hook or breakdown.
1:10 – confetti rainfall? Wedding?
1:25 – “because right now I don’t dare to breathe.” These guys are smitten by someone.
2:12 – “I’ve paid for every single word I’ve ever said.” Good lesson to learn.
2:30 – Patented JEW background piano doing well here…note to blog reader…not actually patented.
3:15 – didn’t blow me away but it was enjoyable
Song – 7.5/10
Firefight
:00 – Chase this light melts into this song
1:00 – I really can’t think of much to say about this song…Heard it all before. The drum line is classic JEW. Not a bad thing, it’s nice to listen to. This song doesn’t have a whole lot to offer though.
2:25 – I haven’t seen a central theme with this album besides love. It really just feels like a band sticking to their good pop rock writing skills with little passion behind it. Mind you, I’m a HUGE Jimmy fan.
Song – 5/10
Dizzy
:00 Here’s their last shot at greatness
:06 – I can already tell it’s not the hard song I’ve wanted
:10 – “You close your eyes and kiss her hand and blow it”. Seriously? You’re over 30….I want more drug songs at least!
:50 – “if you always knew the truth the world would spin around you” Wait a minute….That’s rewriting “no sensitivity”. At least I’m thinking about a GOOD song right now.
2:00 – “From a payphone remember those from another life.” Meh.
3:10 – Hey this song took a good turn with the distorted guitar and anxious vocals.
3:35 – went back to mediocrity
4:00 – the final 40 seconds of the album. Oh where oh where is my “sweetness”.
Song – 6/10
Thinking about the whole album is sad. Of course I’ll be listening to it over and over to give each song it’s fair shot of sticking in my head and causing me to sing out loud on campus. But to be honest I don’t see many of the songs sticking. Each of their last three albums (dating back over 10 years) were MUCH better with the first listen. Bleed American slapped me in the face and screamed “Why the freak are you listening to boy bands as a freshman in college?” I microwaved my boyband CD’s and threw them out the 7th story window of my dorm. Every song on that album had a special meaning to me.
Futures was less dynamic for me but still had a long replay value. The title song was an obvious call to oust GW Bush but sadly for JEW and Iraqis America chose the lesser evil and GW survived the onslaught of emo propaganda.
Chase the light lacked one major thing…a rock anthem. It seems that each album has less and less rock than its predecessor and Chase This Light completely removed rock from JEW music repertoire. That’s an unfortunate thing for me because my favorite JEW songs have been their rock anthems.
Overall Score: 6.5/10 (It saddens me to give them a score that low)
No comments:
Post a Comment