Jimmy Eat World Chase This Light Grade: B+

Jimmy Eat World is one of those bands that seamlessly went from releasing indie favorites to NOW!-compilation-sized hits. After breaking into the mainstream in 2001 with "The Middle" from Bleed American, Jimmy has never looked back. 2004 brought Futures, a darker album than its predecessor, but one that scored just as well. Three years later, the band is back with Chase This Light, and they've delivered yet again.\nOn Chase, Jimmy has combined the fun, pop-stylized sounds of Bleed and the serious moods of Futures, and it works very well. The album opener and lead single "Big Casino" features huge hooks and a massive jolt of energy as frontman Jim Adkins sings "Get up, Get up / Turn on ignition / Get up, Get up / Fire up the system." It's a great choice for a lead single and should be another "The Middle," but other tracks seem even more primed for radio.\nWith "Let It Happen," the band returns to melodies heard on Futures, but once the chorus kicks in, it's like a digital sugar rush directly to your ears. The lyrics "Talk, talking a lot / But it's all talk / Say whatever you want / 'Cause I can laugh it off" aren't spellbinding, but they'll be in your head for days after hearing them.\nThe middle of the record shows Chase isn't all soaring melodies. "Carry You" finds Jimmy more subdued, much like on Futures, but no less effective. The acoustically powered track hits its stride with the bridge as Adkins' vocals build into his patented dual-vocals-with-himself move, where he croons, "Slap my face just to feel / Just to feel you there again."\nThe record's only misstep occurs with the wispy ballad "Gotta Be Somebody's Blues." The track includes brooding vocals that don't connect with the rest of the album, and it moves at a slow pace.\nJimmy delivers on every release, and whether or not you admit to liking pop music, it's impossible not to enjoy this band. Chase is an excellent addition to the Jimmy Eat World catalog and one of the most enjoyable releases of the year.