Andy Gapin

Jimmy Eat World is streaming the first single from their upcoming album, Invented, on their site right now. It’s called “My Best Theory” and it serves as proof that not even Mark Trombino can bring these guys back from the land of mediocrity that they’ve fallen into in the last ten years.

This band seems to get an endless number of chances from old fans that have been around pre-Bleed American. With each release since Bleed American, I hear the same thing about how the previous album wasn’t that great but this new one coming out is going to be so much better and serve as a “return to form” for the band. There’s always some good enough sounding reason behind this too. I always buy into it, but it never pans out. This time around, Mark Trombino was supposed to be their savior. I was willing to give it chance, what he’s done with them before was strong, there’s no denying that. But the truth is, despite what they graced us with in the second half of the ’90s, this band is just mediocre. Many of us “indie” kids still have a very soft spot in our hearts for Jimmy Eat World, but I think it’s time to give up hope. Let’s just walk away with Static Prevails and Clarity and be happy that we got those two incredible records from them. With two-thirds of their albums just being alright and their new single giving little hope for their seventh album, I think it’s time, guys. I’m sorry to be the one to say it.

To quote Gaslight Anthem, “those days are gone and you should just let them go.”