Jimmy Eat World

Clarity

Yes, it is that good...

Review Score:

(10/10)
...to the types of people who would like it. Obviously, there is no one album that everybody likes or should like. But this is one album that a lot of people like, and they like it a LOT. Like the film "The Godfather." It may not be your cup of tea, but it's more likely to be your cup of tea than, say, "Waterworld."

So what are all these emotional kids raving about? Well, it's difficult to nail down. Above all, there is a cohesiveness to the album, an almost operatic continuity of theme from track to track. As others have noted, give the album several spins before passing judgement. Trust what everyone is telling you: the enjoyment is there.

I can appreciate all the songs on the album, but I do have a few favorites. "Table for glasses" is a nice opening song, and I've always liked the vocal harmony. Later on the album, "Just watch the fireworks" features exceptional string arrangement, and the line "I promised I'd see this with you now" is loaded with an innocent angst that is hard to resist and hard to resist identifying with. My absolute favorite, however, is the sweet "For me this is heaven." It always leaves me with butterflies.

One final note: people seem to love or hate "Goodbye Sky Harbor," the last song. This because it is all of 16 minutes of programming. If you can't imagine enjoying a 16-minute song, you don't have the patience for Clarity. Plain and simple, the album wants to be enjoyed as a whole, not in digestible singles. If you buy it and don't like it, I'm sure your local used music outlet would gladly take it. Shoot, I'd buy and extra copy for a friend.

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