Jimmy Eat World- Invented

Straight out of Mesa, AZ Jimmy Eat World have finally returned after a 3 year absence with Invented. The follow up to 2007's Chase This Light finds the group doing a little bit of everything with strong, melodic punches here and there and mellow, acoustic ballads that very closely resemble the Jimmy Eat World of the Clarity and Bleed American era that we've grown to know and love over the years.

The disc storms out of the gate with "Heart Is Hard To Find", an uptempo, acoustic inspired jam that will get your head bopping from the get go. Frontman Jim Adkins sounds a little deeper at times throughout the song, a change of pace from how we heard him on prior releases. The disc's first single, "My Best Theory" is pure, vintage Jimmy at it's finest with sharp, crisp guitar riffs hitting at every angle imaginable. "Evidence" continues the melodic onslaught with escalating guitar riffs and powerful melodies that you will fall hook, line, and sinker for. "Movielike" is a mostly acoustic driven number, providing for a nice change of pace after all the harder edged tunes we heard so far. "Coffee and Cigarettes" is a strong, melodic number that will keep you tuned in until the very end with Jim's powerful vocals making this song one of the standouts among all the rest.

The disc's second half starts off with "Littlething", a mellow, calm track that features the sounds of an orchestra heard faintly in the distance, adding for a nice touch to a very unique track. "Cut" features much of the same laid back melodies as the previous one did, setting the stage for the latter tracks to follow. Easily my favorite song off the album is the title track, a beautiful, epic tune that will leave you breathless upon first listening, and will keep you paying attention for all 7 minutes of the track. "Mixtape" is the song that ties all the loose ends together with simple melodies and guitar arrangements that closes out the album appropriately. When the history books are written years from now and when they have a chapter titled "DIY Bands Who Did Things On Their Own Terms", you know Jimmy Eat World will be at the very top of the list. When they released their breakthrough album Clarity in 1999 on Capitol Records, and were subsequently dropped after the album sold poorly, many wondered if they would even continue as a band, but those speculations were automatically shattered when Bleed American came out in 2001. 10 years and 3 albums later, Jimmy Eat World is still surviving and thriving in today's uncertain music biz.

Overall, a great effort here from Jimmy Eat World who have failed to disappoint us once again with an effort that shows their full fledged evolution into a band that personifies everything about the DIY scene, and also shows a band that is harder, better, and stronger then when they first started.

                                                                                                                         Album Score: 4/5

Track Listing:

1. Heart Is Hard To Find
2. My Best Theory
3. Evidence
4. Higher Devotion
5. Movielike
6. Coffee and Cigarettes
7. Stop
8. Littlething
9. Cut
10. Action Needs An Audience
11. Invented
12. Mixtape