Unlimited Music

Before I start this review, I should confess that I am a huge Jimmy Eat World fan. In fact, it would be fair to say that they are my favorite band. That said, it is fair to accuse me of slight bias with regards to this post.

When I first heard this CD, I initially felt disappointed. “Bleed American,” the single, was one of my favorite radio songs at the moment, but the CD as a whole bore no resemblance to the album’s first single. Unlike “Bleed American,” the majority of Bleed American was full of slow and upbeat songs. Thus I shelved the Jimmy release for a few months, occasionally popping it in to hear the one song I liked, for a few months.

It wasn’t until some time later that I discovered my mistake. Just because songs like “A Praise Chorus” and “Sweetness” were different, didn’t necessarily mean they were bad. Quite the opposite, in fact, was true. J.E.W. quickly proved to me, as I finally gave the entire album a listen, that their true calling were the slower and upbeat songs that turned me away from the band before. Songs that were, no doubt, used as cheering-up mechanisms for thousands around the country. A sound that, no doubt, would be embraced by teenagers everywhere in no time.

Every song on Bleed American is excellent. Some may take time to grow on you, as they did with me, but give it enough time and you’ll love “The Authority Song” as much as you enjoy “The Middle.” Even more impressive is the band’s willingness to reach away from their comfort zone, with darker songs such as the aforementioned “Bleed American” and “Get It Faster.” The band didn’t need to create these tracks, but they did. And I’m a big fan of bands who experiment with other genres and music styles.

Overall, this is a terrific CD. If you still think I’m biased, check it out for yourself.

Grade - A - One of my favorite listens of all time.

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