Jimmy Eat World - Clarity

First wave of commercial emo

They were the emo cat among the nu-metal pigeons when they broke on to the UK rock scene in 2001, but Jimmy Eat World made an impact. Perfect adrenaline-rush single Salt Sweat Sugar exploded on to the airwaves and TV channels, The Middle and Sweetness followed swiftly behind, while 2001 album Bleed American made the charts. It was up to enthusiastic fans to seek out the Arizona quartet’s back catalogue for themselves, though the multicoloured cover of 1999’s Clarity became familiar in music shops. Its combination of melancholy, introspective pop with faster punk rock broke the band in the US, with radio track Denver Mint still standing up as a credible single more than 10 years later.

EMI | 3981672

Reviewed by Eleanor Goodman
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