January 22, 2002

Jimmy Eat World : The Middle

Our single of the week could easily have dropped off the end credits of an 80s Brat Pack flick...

I’ve always been a big fan of Emo – that cute, fluffy little nephew of Grover off 'Sesame Street' with the speech impediment and obvious learning difficulties. Aaah, he’s just like a real life idiot child only furry, innee?

But I’m still not sure what he’s got to do with these four tubby prep boys from Phoenix (do they do the voice?) or this gob-smacking riot of chugging guitar brilliance and Shakin’ Stevens impersonations.

‘The Middle’ could easily have dropped off the end credits of an 80s Brat Pack flick, just after Emilio Estevez finally snogs Molly Ringwald: there’s an almighty power chord pile-up, big LA rocker drums that could’ve brought down Tom Cruise in 'Top Gun' and Jim Adkins wobbles his knees Shakey-style and warbles "Heeevrythin’, heeevrythin’ will be just fine!" like a cross between Elvis Presley, Steve Harley and the world’s least pissed pub singer.

It’s with glorious pop rackets like this that Jimmy Eat World are dragging the slightly sour and mouldy name of emo out of the specialist convention and into a bright new dawn.

They’re our cavalry against the evil Alien Ant Farms and not-statistically-evil-but-getting-there PODs of this world and they take back the Top Ten at dawn.

Mark Beaumont