2023 Albums #12

• Album: Bleed American
• Artist: Jimmy Eat World
• Year: 2001
• Spotify link

Fun fact about Bleed American: it was released two months before 9/11, so it swiftly got renamed to be an eponymous album in case it was considered insensitive. And the lead track got renamed to Salt Sweat Sugar. Which both actually work better to my mind.

I love the balance on this album between calm, mellow songs and fast-paced rock energy. For example, how it goes from The Middle to Your House to Sweetness and back again to Hear You Me. There are two relatively different styles, but they work together, and there's not a single bad song on the whole album.

Talking of Sweetness, that was the first Jimmy Eat World song I ever heard, on a Kerrang! compilation album (remember those things?), and I think it's still my favourite of their songs. The energy, the melody, the anthemic singalong "whoa-oa-oa-oa-oa-oa" through the verses...

2023 Goal

I had a goal this year to listen to 12 albums, and this was the one I chose to hit the goal. It's just a great album and a fun way to hit the target. I don't plan to stop tracking them though; while I enjoy playlists and randomly selecting songs, this project has shown me how great a whole album can be when it's put together just right.