Jimmy Eat World - Integrity Blues

Jimmy Eat World
Integrity Blues
2016
Spotify

There has always been this sense that Jimmy Eat World would never be able to recapture some of the magic from their early albums like Clarity and Bleed American. Futures was fantastic, but it was missing just a touch of that special something that struck such a cord with the emo set of the early 2000s. Jim Adkins whether solo or with Jimmy Eat World has always been so great at capturing an emotion and expounding it to new heights. "The Middle" though it was their most successful song was much more pop than anything else they did, or have done, and their passion for their music kept them from ever trying to just duplicate that song. The past few albums have been weaker, leading the band to take a break and Jim to go out on his own, and perhaps that was the very best thing because Integrity Blues is fucking stellar. Their formula of heart felt lyrics and strained hooks should be trite 23 years on, but somehow it isn't and their sound is just as fresh today as it ever has been. Integrity Blues is far and away their best produced record thanks in part to Justin Meldel-Johnsen who has maned the board for the likes of Nine Inch Nails and M83 just to name a couple. That crisp sound, especially in the drums, gives Jimmy Eat World another dimension that they probably didn't need but is a welcome one.

A lot of the record may feel like a love letter to fans who have loved their albums in the past drawing from them like going to a well. You can hear twinges of Bleed American, Futures and Clarity throughout but it never seems outright derivative. The record is not without it's experiments however. "Pass This Baby" sees the band taking a dark sinister turn brooding with an almost Explosions in the Sky-esque guitar line and a constant drum machine beat that really gets them out of their anthemic comfort zone. There is however an acoustic guitar breakdown towards the middle of the track that starts of a really incredible build and eventually turns into an all out rockfest. It's a risky track, but it does really work. "Get Right" one of the previously released singles is an odd choice and quite possibly the weakest track on the record. "You Are Free" and "Through" are real standouts and remincent of the emotions when you first heard "The Middle". I can go on and on about just how special Jimmy Eat World are, but in the end their music speaks for itself as it always has. You can call it a comeback if you want, and maybe it is, but they've never really left since the first time "Goodbye Sky Harbor" made you tear up. Take my advice on this one or not, but I'll be in the corner, headphones in, listening to the return of that little bit of magic.

9.0 out of 10