Thursday, June 6, 2013

6/6/13

I don't know why I'm surprised, but I'm pretty blown away with how much I enjoy this album. Jimmy Eat World, as any longtime fan will tell you, has no two albums alike, but you never really know what to expect, so I keep expectations minimal and have a blank slate...so what a surprise and comfort to find "Damage" as heartfelt and honest and heartwrenching yet also mature it makes me feel old and new at the same time.

Jim Adkins called this an "adult break-up" album in an interview somewhere, and I definitely get that vibe. There's a lot of regret and nostalgia here, but only small doses self-pity (something you learn is a waste of your time as you grow older). I'm really digging the whole record - the only thing I'd of  loved to see is an epic closer a la "Goodbye Sky Harbor" or "Invented" and "Mixtape."

"Please Say No" is my favorite track so far, already have played it to death.  With a mix of acoustic and electric leads, soft background harmonies, a climatic ending full of auxiliary and dreamy sounds, and the mostly perfectly measured rhymes, it's classic Jimmy Eat World but hardly stale, because the feeling is too fresh and the growth too evident. I plan on buying the album and playing the hell out of it all summer long.



"If all you're really hoping for is peace of mind,
Don't come to me with questions, you'll just waste you time..
Exactly what your'e looking for is what you'll find
And all I see around me is a losing fight.

Please say no, please say no 
Please say no, please say no
No, no, no, no...
Say anything you will 
Except how you'd have me still 
Say anything but no
And I'll go, I'll go, I'll go."
~Please Say No
Jimmy Eat World, Damage