It takes me years sometimes to appreciate a JEW album, and I think this will be one of those. I put it on during a road trip last week, and I was so bored halfway through that I had to switch. Makes me wonder what the difference is between the records I click with immediately and the ones that take a while to grow (i.e. Integrity Blues was an immediate favorite, but Invented took years).
I'm a sucker for music & life intersection anecdotes and this one scratched that itch. I'm glad that this album helped you through a rough time. Amazing the power music has
While I don't agree that Surviving is boring, I do think its an incredibly 'safe' Jimmy Eat World record. I don't think they really do one thing on this record where I thought "that's a new trick" (Maybe 555, actually). It's still a solid record and I'm glad I have it though
Maybe it's me but I think it could be our own expectations. A lot of people were wowed with clarity, blown away by Bleed American, and loved Futures.
I absolutely adore Surviving. Probably my third or fourth favorite JEW record. Title track, Delivery, 555, One Mil, Diamond, and Love Never are all amazing songs.
The band follows a formula for records. It’s a really good formula and wise formula. It probably takes some of the “think” out of what needs to be on the record, and gives them more time for creativity of how the record will sound, the style, additional instrumentation, lyrics and type production. We all kinda know what’s going to be on a. Jimmy record before it comes out, we just don’t know how it’s gonna sound. It’s probably a big reason they are so consistent.
I'm curious: what direction would people like to see them move in? What specific sounds would be cool to hear them experiment with? I agree Surviving is a pretty "safe" album in that it doesn't try a ton of new stuff sonically (I'm more drawn to the lyrical/thematic side), but they've also never really struck me as a band that's going to go in super different directions every album.
I would really love to hear them expand on the Stay On My Side Tonight sound. Darker, moodier, but still catchy. But I doubt that will ever happen, the EP was so long ago now.
They did a darker record in Futures and brighter record in Chase this Light. They did a more key infused record with Integrity Blues and a more guitar rock feel for Surviving. I actually love the complimentary records. So whatever they release next, I want the follow up to be kinda off the opposite. It be nice to get something in less than 3 years too.
Give me some heavy, angrier Jimmy Eat World. A whole album like Blister and the end of Pass the Baby.
I kind of felt like they did this with Integrity Blues, at least to a certain extent. Definitely the closest they've come to that sound, anyway. Ha, this is what I really don't want. The heavy/angry Jimmy Eat World songs are almost always my least favorites on their respective albums.
I want a JEW album full of fourth-world ambient-jazz tinged slowcore songs, interspersed with downergaze/noise-pop interludes complete with Mongolian throat-singing
In all honesty, it would be fun for them to do a completely different genre, even if it wasn't under the Jimmy Eat World name. Give me a ska or metalcore song.... or an eclectic covers album.
Band has a great sled identity and have broad “Jimmy” sound so they hit different styles on a record but feel like they belong together. I love the sweet Jimmy songs, but I like the variety on the albums. You get a nice mix and it’s Kees the album dynamic.
I feel like CTL was them kinda going Springsteen a little. I would love to hear a lot more of that. All the John Fields tracks rip so hard, maybe would love for them to do a whole record with him.
Fair point, and IB is easily my favorite album from them since Futures. But yeah, more shit like that would be my vibe.
I love pretty much everything they’ve done although CTL is a little boring for me. I want more ambient IB/Stay vibes or could go for more of the weird proggy shit like Congratulations and even more 555 type stuff which seemed to be their biggest song of the last decade or so
I definitely agree; it was a sound I wanted them to expand on for years. "Sure and Certain" was kind of a dead ringer for that era for me, along with a few other songs. I would love more of that, though, whether it's the super dark build of something like "Disintegration" or something as expansive as "Closer" gets.
In my wildest dreams, they go REALLY out there and push their bounderies to the limits and do a whole album of Pass The Baby/555 type stuff
Listening to Stay On My Side Tonight right now and I forgot how much I love these songs, but hate the production. Edit: Mainly just how loud the snare drum is in the mix