Jim Adkins is 35 years old. The band that he fronts, Jimmy Eat World, has been around since 1993. But by listening to the music of Jimmy Eat World, and specifically the lyrics of Adkins over the past decade, it may be hard to tell that Adkins should be moving out of his uncomfortable teenage years and into full grown adult hood. On the band’s glossy 2007 album Chase This Light, Adkins’ lyrics were specifically aimed toward a certain group of listeners; listeners that were definitely much younger than himself. On the band’s latest release, Invented, Adkins grows up a little bit. Though much of the songs on Invented borrow from the same themes that a good number of Jimmy Eat World songs have been based upon in the past (failed relationships, awkward moments, angry laments), Adkins seems to be singing about adult misery now instead of just high school angst. Though Invented is improved instantly upon its predecessor simply because of the more mature lyrics, Jimmy Eat World's newest album still fails to be really all that memorable outside a few standout tracks.
Whether Adkins’ lyrical reformation was influenced by the return of producer Mark Trombino or not is a mystery; but one thing is for certain, Trombino’s recent return after a fall out with the band during the 2004 Futures sessions which kept him from producing Chase This Light, was surely nothing but a positive influence on the sound of the band’s new album. Dubbed as ‘emo’ almost from the band’s inception, Jimmy Eat World has always been evolving. On their 2001 breakthrough album, Bleed American, the band transformed into the power pop quartet that they still masquerade as. Although their self-created power pop sound is less appealing than the complex sound that they perfected before the turn of the century, the music created by modern day Jimmy Eat World is easily digestible and, like any other kind of pop music, can be fun. Sometimes the band even reaches into their back pocket and pulls out a wonderful, lush composition. But most generally, the songs that have littered Jimmy Eat World albums over the past few years seem to be pretty shallow musically.
Invented begins with its best track, the lively, pounding “The Heart is Hard to Find.” It’s a song that showcases some of Adkins’ more mature songwriting set to an irresistible beat, a jangle of acoustic guitar work, and a stirring string section. “My Best Theory,” the album’s first single, follows. Featuring sing along chorus that may or may not stick with you, “My Best Theory” is dragged down by a bland chorus and the fact that the song never really goes anywhere interesting, a problem that many of the band’s best pop singles didn’t have. There are a few gems hidden in the midst of Invented. “Evidence” seamlessly crosses over from a soft spoken ballad to hard hitting guitars at the end of the choruses. Even though the song features some rather nonsensical lovelorn lyrics, Adkins' takes control of the track vocally. When he utters “You did what you did, the memory lives,” during the bridge of “Evidence,” you get the emotional connection that was so commonplace while listening to much of Jimmy Eat World’s early work.
One of the cooler moments on the album is hearing guitarist Tom Linton get a chance to take the microphone on “Action Needs an Audience.” Despite not having sung lead on an album cut in 11 years, Linton takes command of a respectable up-tempo tune towards the end of the album. Missteps and forgettable songs do litter the album though. One example is the track “Coffee and Cigarettes” which is literally one of the most embarrassing songs Jimmy Eat World has ever released.
It’s nice to see Jim Adkins sing songs for his actual generation again, but improved lyrics and toned down production do not completely save Invented from being a disappointment. There are too many lame duck songs mixed in with a handful of winners to put this album in the same league as some the band’s best efforts. As a predecessor to the vastly underwhelming Light though, Invented is a definite step in the right direction.
"Invented" is on sale September 28, 2010 from Interscope.
