Chase This Light | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | October 16, 2007 | |||
Recorded |
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Length | 40:18 | |||
Label | Interscope | |||
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Jimmy Eat World chronology | ||||
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Singles from Chase This Light | ||||
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Chase This Light is the sixth studio album by American rock band Jimmy Eat World. The band began working on the follow-up to Futures (2004) by late 2005, and had made demos by early 2006. They started recording their next album with engineer Chris Testa between Arizona and California. Butch Vig was enlisted as an executive producer, acting in a consultancy role, where he would provide feedback on the material. Sessions began in August 2006 and lasted until May 2007, with tours of the US and Europe in between. Described as a power pop, pop rock and pop-punk record, the guitars drew comparison to the Outfield and U2, while individual song comparisons were made to the likes of the Killers, the All-American Rejects and Shout Out Louds.
Preceded by the release of "Big Casino", Chase This Light was released on October 16, 2007 through Interscope Records. It was met with a favorable reaction from music critics, a few of them noted a return to the sound of Bleed American (2001). Chase This Light charted at number 5 on the US Billboard 200 after selling 62,000 copies in its first week, and by 2008 it has sold 155,000 copies. [1] It reached the top 5 on three Billboard component charts, and charted highly in Canada, the UK, Australia, among others. "Big Casino" and "Always Be" charted in Canada and the UK. With the release of a music video for "Big Casino", the band toured the US until the end of the year. "Always Be" was released as a single in December; the group had a support slot for the Foo Fighters and went on a tour of Europe and Japan in early 2008. With the single release of "Let It Happen", the band went on a co-headlining US tour with Paramore, and appeared at various festivals in Europe.
Jimmy Eat World released their fifth album Futures in October 2004. [2] It charted at number 6 on the US Billboard 200, [3] and would later be certified gold in the US by the RIAA. [4] The album was promoted with headlining stints in the US, Europe and Japan, followed by a co-headlining US tour with Taking Back Sunday, and a support slot for Green Day in the UK and the US, leading into October 2005. [5] That same month, outtakes from the Futures sessions were released as part of the Stay on My Side Tonight EP. [6] Following the EP's release, vocalist/guitarist Jim Adkins revealed they were working on new songs. [7] In December, the band supported Green Day on an Australian tour. [8] In January 2006, drummer Zach Lind said the band resumed work on new material, and by February they had seven demos. [7] Recording for Chase This Light began in August 2006, the band entered the studio with 17 songs. [9]
Despite initial reporting that said Butch Vig would travel from Madison, Wisconsin to work with the band in Tempe, Arizona, [10] he ended up in a consultant-esque role. [11] Sessions were held at Unit 2 in Tempe with engineer Chris Testa; the band handled additional recording. [12] Ross Hogarth and Fields did additional engineering at Seedy Underbelly in Los Angeles, California. A string session was held at Conway Studios in Los Angeles for "Gotta Be Somebody's Blues", arranged and conducted by David Campbell. [12] Vig appeared a few times in person throughout the sessions, while the group mainly worked with Testa. The band posted material on a website for Vig to listen to and provided feedback on. [11] Subsequently, the band and Testa earned a split producer credit; John Fields co-produced "Here It Goes" and did additional production on "Big Casino", "Let It Happen", "Always Be", "Electable (Give It Up)", "Feeling Lucky" and "Dizzy". [12]
Recording lasted for three weeks until late August, when the band took a break to play shows in the US and Europe. Sessions recommenced on September 4 and lasted until October. Further recording took place in December, when they recorded Amy Ross of Nowhere Man and a Whiskey Girl doing vocals. The band took a break around the Christmas period to write additional songs, and recorded more material during a few weeks in March 2007. Following this, the band embarked on a European tour, which concluded in May. [7] The sessions finished later in the month, [13] with mixing being done by Chris Lord-Alge the following month [14] at Resonate Music in Burbank California with assistance from Keith Armstrong. Ted Jensen mastered the final recordings at Sterling Sound in New York City. [12] Linton would later remark that they "might have gone a little bit too crazy on some of the production parts, like as far as adding more vocals and keyboard parts." [15]
Musically, the sound of Chase This Light has been described as pop punk, [16] pop rock [17] [18] and power pop, [19] [20] with influence from pop, [21] moving away from the emo style of their earlier work. [18] [22] Adkins and Linton's guitar work earned comparisons to early 1980s rock acts, such as the Outfield and U2. [23] In contrast to Futures darker sound, Chase This Light was more melodic and upbeat. [11] The opening song "Big Casino" channeled "When You Were Young" by the Killers. [24] Adkins referred to it as a "loser anthem" for people who burn-out and desire success. [7] He got the title phrase from a short story by Richard Ford where two of the characters are talking and one of them says "He's big casino." [25] The pop punk number "Let It Happen" [17] is aided by additional vocals from Ross. [12] Adkins wrote it as a "feigning strength as a defense"-type track. [7] "Always Be" utilizes finger snaps and handclaps; its melody was compared to the Shins and Shout Out Louds. [19] It discuses co-dependency, alongside exploited weaknesses. [7]
"Carry You" originated as a track from Adkins' side project Go Big Casino. [26] Its acoustic guitars evoked the Futures song "Kill"; [27] Fields contributes keyboard. [12] Talking about the song, Adkins said that with "distance and time, it becomes easier to invent qualities that may not have existed in a relationship." [7] "Electable (Give It Up)" is a political punk track [24] that uses synthesizers in the vein of the Killers. [21] Adkins wrote it in anger in regards to the "lack of intelligent political discourse in America." [7] The song features additional vocals from Ross, Finn and Jackson Adkins, and Ava Lind, as well as additional bass from Fields. [12] "Gotta Be Somebody's Blues" is a dark song with strings that returned to the sound of Futures. [28] The track talked about apathy and defending one's own beliefs. [7]
The tambourine-enhanced [24] power pop song "Feeling Lucky" recalled "That Thing You Do!" by the Wonders, [21] and the All-American Rejects. [29] Adkins said it was "[a]nother loser anthem" about a bar fight. [7] "Here It Goes", which features handclaps, manipulated vocals, [28] synthesizers and dance beats. [18] Ross added additional vocals, and Fields provided keyboard to it. [12] It talks about not losing focus on what is important to a person. Adkins said "Chase This Light" is about being "self-aware in the middle of a special experience", with the chase part being about "trying to find that feeling of discovery." [7] It echoes the melancholic atmosphere of "Work" from Futures and "For Me This Is Heaven" from their third studio album Clarity (1999). [30] "Firefight" was reminiscent of the band's early records with its punk rock and post-hardcore guitars; [19] [30] it talks about new things coming across as important. [7] "Dizzy" is stylistically similar to Hysteria (19)-era Def Lappard, [28] as well as "My Sundown" from their fourth studio album Bleed American (2001), [30] and includes keyboard from Fields and Stephen Lu. [12] "Dizzy" is about awkwardness between two individuals when dealing with their past. [7] After finishing the album, the group felt that by having two slow tracks would alter the album's dynamic; as a result, "Gotta Be Somebody's Blues" remained, while "Be Sensible" became a bonus track. [31] The latter comes across as a more melodic iteration of "Hear You Me", a track from Bleed American. [32]
In July 2007, the band went on a tour of the US, before doing several shows in South Africa as well as appearing at several festival dates in Europe the following month. [33] On July 30, Chase This Light was announced for release in three months' time; [7] the track listing was posted on August 15. [34] "Big Casino", the first single from the album, was released August 28 for download. [35] Two versions were released on vinyl: one featuring "Beautiful Is", [36] and the second one featuring "Open Bar Reception". [37] The album's artwork was released the following day, [38] taken by Davies and Starr. [12] It drew comparison to the cover of Apple Venus Volume 1 (1999) by XTC. [39] In mid-September, a music video was filmed for "Big Casino", which starred the band performing in a wasteland. [7] From here until the album's release, the group went on a North American tour, which included an appearance at the X96 Big Ass Show radio festival. [40] [41] Chase This Light was released on October 16 through Interscope. [38] The iTunes edition included the Bruce Springsteen cover "Take 'Em as They Come", alongside an acoustic version of "Dizzy". [42] The UK version included "Be Sensible" and "Distraction" as bonus tracks, [43] while the Japanese version included both of these, with the addition of "Beautiful Is". [44]
The "Big Casino" music video was released on October 24. [45] Following this, the band embarked on an east coast US tour in October and November 2007 with Maritime. [46] On November 9, the band performed two songs on The Sauce. [47] "Always Be" was released to radio on December 4; [48] the vinyl version included a live version of "Big Casino", [49] while the CD version featured the Tempe Sessions version of "Firefight". [50] Throughout December, the band appeared at various radio festivals. [51] In January 2008, the band supported Foo Fighters on a few US shows. [52] A music video for "Always Be" was released on January 29. [53] From late January to early March, the band went on a tour of mainland Europe and the UK; the former territory was supported by Sparkadia, while the latter was supported by Styrofoam. [54]
On March 5, an acoustic version of "Always Be" was released online. [55] Following this, the band toured Japan. [56] On March 25, the video album Tempe Sessions was released through the iTunes Store. It featured live-in-the-studio performances of tracks from the album, in addition to interviews on the making of the album. [55] "Let It Happen" was released to radio on April 8. [57] Bookended by appearances at the Bamboozle Left [58] and The Bamboozle festivals, [59] the group embarked on a co-headlining US tour with Paramore in April and May with support from Dear and the Headlights. [60] Throughout June, the band performed at Download Festival, [61] Rock am Ring, Rock im Park, Hultsfred and Norwegian Wood festivals, [59] alongside headlining shows in Germany. [55] They followed this with a North America tour in July with Dear and the Headlights. [62] [63] In 2013, an iTunes Sessions EP was released, which featured a rendition of "Chase This Light". [64]
Aggregate scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
Metacritic | 66/100 [65] |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [28] |
Entertainment Weekly | A [66] |
LAS Magazine | 7.6/10 [21] |
NME | 7/10 [22] |
PopMatters | [27] |
Rolling Stone | [24] |
Slant Magazine | [19] |
Spin | 7/10 [67] |
Ultimate Guitar | 8/10 [23] |
Virgin Media | [68] |
Chase This Light received generally positive reviews from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 66, based on 25 reviews. [65] Andy Greenwald from Entertainment Weekly gave praise to the band for combining the "extroverted guitar pop" of Bleed American and the pensive bulk of Futures to encapsulate what their given genre is: "big emotions, sure, but also big hooks, big stakes. And big rewards." He concluded by calling Chase This Light "a master class in hard rocking for the soft-hearted." [66] Slant Magazine's Jonathan Keefe called it "a return to form for the band in terms of their ingratiating power-pop", praising the tracks "Big Casino" and "Always Be" for their instantly catchy instrumentation and melodies that make up the overall tone of the album. He added that "it isn't a stretch to say that Chase This Light is one of the year’s best power-pop records." [19] Spin journalist Andrew Beaujon praised Jim Adkins' vocal delivery for having a "youthful tang" that sells the songs about "getting older and maybe a little more cynical." He concluded that "[T]he joy of Chase This Light is hearing him convince us that it comes back again, too." [67]
AllMusic editor Tim Sendra was ambivalent towards the record, commending the return to Bleed American material that's made up of "rousing anthems ("Big Casino")", "melancholy rockers with singalong choruses ("Chase This Light")" and "sweet ballads ("Dizzy")" but was critical of the dry and airless production, the vocals sounding passionless and the unimaginative lyricism, saying that its "nice to listen to and vaguely uplifting, but ultimately empty on the inside." He concluded that "Jimmy Eat World have proven they can do better than this and they may yet, but this album is a bit of a disappointment." [28] Andrew Blackie of PopMatters was also disappointed with the album coming across as "a weaker, limper version" of Futures, criticizing producer Butch Vig for making the band sound "processed and sterile" and the lyrical content for being "juvenile and sapped in self-important, happy-go-lucky sentiments." He concluded that "[M]ore disappointing than that, though, is the fact that there is hardly anything groundbreaking to be found in Chase This Light's 40 minutes, which is less than we’ve come to expect from this band." [27]
Chase This Light debuted at number five on the US Billboard 200 chart, selling around 62,000 copies in its first week, [69] making it the band's highest-charting album in the United States. It appeared on various component charts: number 2 on Alternative Albums [70] and Tastemaker Albums, [71] and number 3 on Top Rock Albums. [72] It reached number 11 in Canada, [73] number 27 in the UK, [74] number 28 in Scotland, [75] number 30 in Australia, [76] number 54 in Germany, [77] number 73 in Austria, [78] and number 94 in Switzerland. [79] "Big Casino" charted at number 3 on Alternative Airplay, [80] and number 22 on Bubbling Under Hot 100. [81] It also reached number 59 on Canadian Hot 100, [82] and number 119 in the UK. [83] "Always Be" charted at number 14 on Alternative Airplay, [80] and also reached number 37 in the UK. [83]
All songs written by Jimmy Eat World. [12]
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Big Casino" | 3:40 |
2. | "Let It Happen" | 3:25 |
3. | "Always Be" | 3:04 |
4. | "Carry You" | 4:22 |
5. | "Electable (Give It Up)" | 2:56 |
6. | "Gotta Be Somebody's Blues" | 4:46 |
7. | "Feeling Lucky" | 2:32 |
8. | "Here It Goes" | 3:26 |
9. | "Chase This Light" | 3:29 |
10. | "Firefight" | 3:53 |
11. | "Dizzy" | 4:46 |
Total length: | 40:18 |
Adapted credits from the booklet of Chase This Light. [12]
Jimmy Eat World
Additional musicians
| Production
|
Chart (2007) | Peak position |
---|---|
Australian Albums (ARIA) [76] | 30 |
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria) [78] | 73 |
Canadian Albums (Billboard) [73] | 11 |
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) [77] | 54 |
Scottish Albums (OCC) [75] | 28 |
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade) [79] | 94 |
UK Albums (OCC) [74] | 27 |
US Billboard 200 [84] | 5 |
US Top Alternative Albums (Billboard) [85] | 2 |
US Top Rock Albums (Billboard) [86] | 3 |
Jimmy Eat World is an American rock band formed in 1993 in Mesa, Arizona. The band is composed of lead vocalist and lead guitarist Jim Adkins, rhythm guitarist and backing vocalist Tom Linton, bassist Rick Burch, and drummer Zach Lind. They have released ten studio albums, the last nine featuring the current line-up.
Garbage is the debut studio album by American rock band Garbage. It was released on August 15, 1995, by Almo Sounds. The album was met with critical acclaim upon its release, being viewed by some as an innovative recording for its time. It reached number 20 on the US Billboard 200 and number six on the UK Albums Chart, while charting inside the top 20 and receiving multi-platinum certifications in several territories. The album's success was helped by the band promoting it on a year-long tour, including playing on the European festival circuit and supporting the Smashing Pumpkins throughout 1996, as well as by a run of increasingly successful singles culminating with "Stupid Girl", which received Grammy Award nominations for Best Rock Song and Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group in 1997.
Beautiful Garbage is the third studio album by American rock band Garbage. It was released on October 1, 2001, by Mushroom Records worldwide, with the North American release by Interscope Records the following day. Marking a departure from the sound the band had established on their first two releases, the album was written and recorded over the course of a year, when lead singer Shirley Manson chronicled their efforts weekly online, becoming one of the first high-profile musicians to keep an Internet blog. The album expanded on the band's musical variety, with stronger melodies, more direct lyrics, and sounds mixing rock with electronica, new wave, hip hop, and girl groups.
Futures is the fifth studio album by American rock band Jimmy Eat World, released on October 19, 2004, through Interscope Records. After touring in support of Bleed American (2001) for two years, the band returned home and began working on new material by mid-2003. Following fruitless sessions with producer Mark Trombino, the band re-grouped and recorded with Gil Norton. The sessions lasted from February to May 2004 and were held at various studios in California and Arizona. Described as encompassing several rock styles, Futures included more solos and complex guitar parts than past releases, intended to expand on the atmosphere of their third studio album Clarity (1999). The songs on the album were compared to the work of Jets to Brazil and Maritime, while some of the guitar parts echoed the sound of Fugazi and Hüsker Dü.
Bleed American is the fourth studio album by the American rock band Jimmy Eat World, released on July 24, 2001, by DreamWorks Records. The album was re-released as Jimmy Eat World following the September 11 attacks; that name remained until 2008, when it was re-released with its original title returned.
Static Prevails is the second studio album by American rock band Jimmy Eat World, released on July 23, 1996, through Capitol Records. Following the release of the band's self-titled debut album (1994), they signed to Capitol in mid-1995 for further releases. Carrier member Rick Burch replaced bassist Mitch Porter, who left to become a Mormon missionary. Recorded at Sound City in Los Angeles, California, and at Big Fish, in Encinitas, California, Wes Kidd, Mark Trombino, and Jimmy Eat World acted as producers for the album.
Clarity is the third studio album by American rock band Jimmy Eat World. It was released on February 23, 1999, through Capitol Records, with which Jimmy Eat World clashed several times while recording their second studio album Static Prevails (1996). The band recorded a follow-up with producer Mark Trombino in May and June 1998, and were free to make it however they wanted without interference from Capitol. The recording sessions began at Sound City in Van Nuys, California, before moving to Clear Lake Audio in North Hollywood, California. Clarity, which is described as an emo, pop punk, and punk rock release, marked the beginning of frontman Jim Adkins' tenure as the band's main vocalist, taking over from guitarist Tom Linton.
"Bleed American" is a song by American rock band Jimmy Eat World. It was released in June 2001 as the lead single from their fourth album Bleed American. The song was originally titled "Bleed American", but similar to the name change of the album after the September 11 attacks, the song was retitled "Salt Sweat Sugar" after the first line in the song's chorus.
"The Middle" is a song by American rock band Jimmy Eat World. It was released in October 2001 as the second single of their fourth album, Bleed American (2001). It was a number-five hit on the US Billboard Hot 100 in 2002 and reached the top 50 in Australia, Ireland, New Zealand and the United Kingdom. The song was a breakthrough hit for Jimmy Eat World, who had self-financed the recording of the Bleed American album after being dropped by Capitol Records in 1999. It is considered the band's signature song.
"A Praise Chorus" is a song by American rock band Jimmy Eat World. It was released in 2002 as the fourth single released from the band's fourth album Bleed American, which was later retitled Jimmy Eat World.
"Sweetness" is a song by American rock band Jimmy Eat World. It was released in June 2002 as the third single from their 2001 album, Bleed American. It was originally written soon after the band finished recording Clarity but before the label had finally decided to release the album. However, "Lucky Denver Mint" became a surprise radio hit off of Clarity before the album was even released, driving the label to release Clarity before "Sweetness" could ever be added to its tracklisting. The band also played the song live many times during the Clarity tour, and a demo recording of it was included on the 2007 re-issue of Clarity.
"Big Casino" is a song by American rock band Jimmy Eat World from their sixth studio album Chase This Light, which was released on October 16, 2007. The single was released on August 28, 2007. The song impacted radio on September 11, 2007.
The American rock band Jimmy Eat World has released ten studio albums, twenty-three singles, seven extended plays, three live albums, one compilation album, one video album, and one song on the "various artists" compilation What's Mine Is Yours.
"Always Be" is the second single from Jimmy Eat World's sixth studio album Chase This Light. The song impacted radio on December 4, 2007. The single was released in the U.K on March 3, 2008.
Invented is the seventh studio album by American rock band Jimmy Eat World. Following the release of Chase This Light (2007), frontman Jim Adkins began a writing exercise that involved writing about photographs, which would serve as the lyrical basis for their next album. Recorded primarily at the band's home-based studio, the sessions were co-produced by Mark Trombino. Described as a power pop album, it featured guest vocals from Courtney Marie Andrews and Rachel Haden. Several of the songs earned comparisons to Foo Fighters, the Offspring, and Rites of Spring, among others.
"My Best Theory" is the lead single from Jimmy Eat World's seventh studio album Invented. The song began receiving its first radio airplay on August 10, 2010, and impacted radio on August 17. The UK digital release was September 26, 2010.
"Coffee and Cigarettes" is the second single from Jimmy Eat World's seventh studio album, Invented. The song was played on the radio on November 23, 2010. This is one of the five Invented tracks where singer-songwriter Courtney Marie Andrews provides guest vocals.
Damage is the eighth studio album by American rock band Jimmy Eat World. It was released on June 11, 2013, through RCA and Exotic Location Recordings. As touring in support of Invented (2010) was winding down by late 2011, the band started writing new material in early 2012. The band spent September and October 2012 at producer Alain Johannes' house in Los Angeles, California recording their next album with analog tape and Pro Tools. Described as an adult breakup album, Damage is a power pop and rock album.
Integrity Blues is the ninth studio album by American rock band Jimmy Eat World. It released on October 21, 2016, by RCA and Exotic Location Recordings. After touring in support of Damage (2013), the band members took a break. They reconvened and began writing with producer Justin Meldal-Johnsen, with recording beginning in late 2015. Sessions were held at Sunset Sound, Chez JMJ, and Unit 2. Described as an alternative rock, emo and pop rock album, Integrity Blues was compared to Silversun Pickups and late period Death Cab for Cutie.
Surviving is the tenth studio album by American rock band Jimmy Eat World. The album was released on October 18, 2019, through RCA and Exotic Location Recordings. After touring in support of Integrity Blues (2016) concluded in mid-2017, the band began writing new material. Following various tours throughout 2018 and early 2019, the band recorded their next album in their home studio in Arizona, with co-producer Justin Meldal-Johnsen. Described as an alternative rock, arena rock, emo, pop rock, and pop punk record, Surviving was compared to the band's earlier albums Chase This Light (2007) and Damage (2013).
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