Unless they’re a member of Extreme Noise Terror, it’s a fair assumption that most people get into bands with the intention to sell records. For five or six years, Jimmy Eat World went along not selling many records at all before finally breaking through with ‘The Middle’ and its attendant self-titled album. Having made that escape from the world of transit vans and sleeping on floors, they can hardly be blamed for not wanting to rock the commercial boat.
Futures is essentially more of the same – polished punk rock with an emotional slant. In truth, there’s nothing massively outstanding about Jimmy Eat World but they manage to engage in a way that most of the other tattooed posers fail to. Gil Norton brings his massive production expertise to bear on the project, balancing a radio friendly sheen with the darker heart of the material involved.
The lyrics talk of love and loneliness with a refreshing intelligence, all wrapped up in a shiny pop package. Only towards the record’s conclusion do JEW allow themselves to head off at tangent, with the suicide pact tale of ‘Night Drive’ and Cure referencing closer ‘23’. They probably couldn’t get away with more of the same next time but for now Futures does just about enough.