Chase This Light : Jimmy Eat World : Review : Rolling Stone

On their drony 2004 album, Futures, Jimmy Eat World seemed deflated, as if frontman Jim Adkins was in need of one of his own “it just takes some time” musical pep talks. That’s not the case with the uneven Chase This Light, which is instead afflicted with the musical gigantism all too common in mainstream rock: The opening track, “Big Casino,” recalls the Killers’ “When You Were Young,” with unnecessary synths burdening what still manages to be an exhilarating seize-what’s-left-of-the-day anthem. The best tracks -- the churning political punk tune “Electable” and the tambourine-shaking burner “Feeling Lucky” -- make clear the band isn’t afraid of the taut power-pop pleasures of Jimmy Eat World a.k.a. Bleed American, which made them emo’s first breakout stars in the distant pre-MySpace year of 2001. Let’s hope for a full-on sequel sometime before these guys turn 100 in emo years.