Released October 19, 2004 Length 49:33 Producer Gil Norton | Recorded 2004 Label Interscope | |
Genre Alternative rock
power pop
emo
pop rock
pop punk | ||
Futures is the fifth studio album by American alternative rock band Jimmy Eat World, released on October 19, 2004, through Interscope Records. Futures was led by the successful single "Pain", followed by "Work" and "Futures". The album has sold 620,000 units in the United States, giving it Gold Record status.
Contents
Background and recording
The band initially entered the studio with Mark Trombino, producer of the band's previous three studio albums, Static Prevails (1996), Clarity (1999), and Bleed American (2001). Disagreements, however, lead to Trombino's departure from the project and Gil Norton became the producer.
"Kill" references the Heatmiser song "Half Right", which the band would later cover for their Stay on My Side Tonight EP.
In 2010, vocalist and guitarist Jim Adkins commented on Trombino's departure stating:
Release
"Pain" was released to radio on September 14, 2004. Futures was released on October 19, 2004 by Interscope. A deluxe edition of the album was released showcasing the album's songs in demo form. "Work" was released to radio on December 7, 2004. "Futures" was released to radio on May 10, 2005.
Reception
Futures was well received by music critics upon its release. On the review aggregating website Metacritic, the album obtained an average score of 73, based on 22 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews."
Tim Sendra at AllMusic stated "Futures will most likely not be the sensation that Bleed American was -- it is too dark and inwardly focused for that." Sendra, however, noted that the album shows a sound progression that fans should accept. Brian Hiatt of Entertainment Weekly opined that "if Jimmy are in the middle of a long ride, Futures retains just enough tunefulness to keep us from jumping out of the car." At The Guardian, Betty Clarke noted "singer-songwriter Jim Adkins jumps neck-deep into heartbreak. His lyrics are his strength."
Futures was ranked at number 44 in Kerrang!'s "50 Albums You Need to Hear Before You Die" list.
Track listing
All songs written and composed by Jimmy Eat World.
The CD was issued simultaneously as regular and deluxe editions, with the latter containing a bonus CD with exactly the same track listing as the regular album, but carrying demo versions of the songs, which were recorded in Jimmy Eat World's home recording studio. In addition, there were several bonus tracks scattered among import and vinyl versions of the album: