Bleed American

by Jimmy Eat World

Overview

After being dropped by Capitol, Jimmy Eat World returned in 2001 with their most consistent and accessible album to date. Recorded entirely on the band's dime before they had a new record deal, Bleed American features compelling lyrics, driving guitar work, and insanely catchy melodies. Left to their own devices during the recording process, it wouldn't have been surprising if the band had turned out another layered, sprawling album akin to their previous full-length masterwork, Clarity. Perhaps sensing that they wouldn't be able to top their previous work when it came to spacy emo, Bleed American heads in a new direction. There are no 16-minute songs here, just straight-ahead rock & roll, performed with punk energy and alt-rock smarts. The title track sets the tone for the album with its blistering guitar attack and aggressive vocals. "A Praise Chorus" and "The Middle improve upon that formula, maintaining the forceful instrumentation but toying with the lyrical themes. "A Praise Chorus" uses the most basic of rock emotions for lyrical inspiration, "I wanna fall in love tonight," while lifting lyrics from Tommy James' "Crimson and Clover," They Might Be Giants' "Don't Let's Start," and Moetley Cruee's "Kick Start My Heart," among others. When used in a song about the comfort and trappings of nostalgia, this borrowing comes off more like a well-placed tribute than stealing. "The Middle" offers a pep talk about self-acceptance and fitting in, and one of the most memorable guitar riffs this side of Angus Young. Bleed American's quieter moments recall some of the band's signature instrumentation from their previous work. Gentle keyboards, bells, and stirring background vocals from former that dog. member Rachel Haden enhance the understated beauty of ballads like "Hear You Me" and "Cautioneers." Haden's most enjoyable contribution, however, is to the up-tempo rocker "The Authority Song." On the surface a song about a song (John Mellencamp's "Authority Song), it also name drops the Beatles' "What Goes On." The numerous references to other bands and other songs reveal that although Jimmy Eat World is a critically acclaimed and incredibly talented band, the members are really just rock fans themselves. If they maintain this level of quality, however, don't be surprised if the next generation of ambitious rockers start writing songs that pay tribute to Jimmy Eat World. ~ Mark Vanderhoff

Product Details

Release Date:	01/08/2016
Label:	Interscope
UPC:	0602547316400

Tracks

1. Bleed American
2. A Praise Chorus
3. The Middle
4. Your House
5. Sweetness
6. Hear You Me
7. If You Don't,Don'
8. Get It Faster
9. Cautioners
10. The Authority Song
11. My Sundow
12. (Splash) Turn Twist

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Jimmy Eat World   Primary Artist
Davey vonBohlen   Primary Artist,Vocals,Featured Artist
Doug Messenger   Handclapping
Jim Adkins   Bass,Bells,Drums,Organ,Piano,Guitar,Vocals,Percussion,Guitar (Bass),Sound Effects
Rachel Haden   Vocals,Vocals (Background)
Tom Linton   Organ,Guitar,Vocals,Vocals (Background)
Ariel Rechtshaid   Vocals
Zach Lind   Drums,Percussion
Mark Trombino   Emulator,Percussion
Rick Burch   Bass,Vocals,Guitar (Bass),Vocals (Background)
Travis Keller   Handclapping

Technical Credits

Trevor Horn   Composer
Paul Morley   Composer
Ken Andrews   Mixing,Engineer,Producer,Recording
J. Robbins   Mixing,Engineer
Chris Douridas   Producer
James Adkins   Composer
Dennis Adkins   Composer
David Gedge   Composer
Liam Howlett   Composer
Robert Pollard   Composer
Peter Lucia   Composer
Jim Adkins   Composer,Engineer
Mike Walter   Engineer,Producer
Michael Comstock   Engineer
George Michael   Composer
Guided by Voices   Composer
Anne Dudley   Composer
Tom Linton   Composer
Tommy James   Composer
Gary Langan   Composer
Zach Lind   Composer
Kim Deal   Composer
Mark Trombino   Mixing,Engineer,Producer,Programming,Synthesizer Programming
Jimmy Eat World   Mixing,Composer,Engineer,Producer,Recording
Rick Burch   Composer
Guy Charbonneau   Engineer,Recording
Simon Smith   Composer,Composer
Jamie Hart   Assistant Engineer
J.J. Jeczalik   Composer
Keith Flint   Composer
Paul Dorrington   Composer
Luke Wood   A&R
Darren Belk   Composer
Richard Burch   Composer
Tim Linton   Composer
Zachary Lind   Composer
Gary Dorrington   Composer
Corin Giles   Engineer