I can really see an argument for any ranking as long as Static and s/t are at the bottom. Everything post-static is perfect in its own way.
thanks i think it is just a testament to how varied peoples opinions are of this band and how they are so consistent and have such diverse styles and appeal in different ways. just saying i dont even think it needs to be qualified as "post-static" or post-anything. i think the debut has some really creative elements. for one its fun and catchy. but also some songs have progressive structures, acoustic guitar prettiness and also some post-rock-esque beautiful reverbed soft guitar melodies. worth dedicating some time to, i genuinely believe. i think to each their own, absolutely, but hope that people explore everything this band has to offer cause they might find their own unique corner of this bands sound that appeals to them, and thats awesome. dont think that can be said for a lot of bands.
i recommend giving static a fair shake if you havent already. very creative album. if you have and still dont like it then fair enough.
Ive been a big fan of them for like 15 years but I never listened to Static Prevails. Maybe I'll finally give it a listen today. As of now my order is Clarity - Futures - Bleed American - Chase This Light - Invented - Damage
I don't know, I think some bands are very much "post-____" due to having kind of lackluster starts to an otherwise fantastic career. For example, I consider Relient k "post-anatomy of tongue in cheek", or Fall Out Boy "post-take this to your grave". I've listened to Static and the s/t a couple times trying to like them, Static had a couple high points but even those highs were less enjoyable to me than the lowest lows that came after that album. Could not enjoy any aspect of s/t though. I am glad you (and I assume at least a few others) find enjoyment in the first two albums though. I wish I liked them more but I just don't.
Clarity and Bleed American were the first JEW albums I heard. Clarity is still my ultimate favorite, but Futures beats Bleed American. Everything after those three are pretty equal to me.
Definitely my favorite since Chase This Light. Probably my favorite since Futures. I'm writing something about it right now that explores the concept Jim laid out in his initial letter and it's only making me love it more. I don't think there's a "23," "Kill," "Dizzy," or "Invented," but those are high bars.
I agree with this, I think the post-static qualifier makes sense because of how different (and better) the later albums are. Frankly, my own qualifier would be post-Clarity as that's when they really started to shine imo, but I know no one here will agree with that.
Let me just say that the bridge to Here It Goes is damn fantastic. The "hey hey" part is just fine, but stack it against the gorgeous full band section that immediately follows it and man, that is some top tier Jimmy stuff in my mind.
Clarity doesn't connect with me as strongly as the other albums, but unlike Static, I can really see why it does connect so strongly with so many people. So that's why I maintain the post-static view of the band.
I feel a Futures ranking coming on. 23 Kill Work Polaris The World You Love Futures Night Drive Just Tonight Drugs or Me Nothingwrong Pain
Futures 23 Kill Polaris Night Drive The World You Love Work Drugs or Me Nothingwrong Pain Just Tonight