Capitol gave the band freedom to do what they wanted in the studio this is attributed to the label having no interest in the band by this point. They were aware of Trombino through his work with Boys Life and other acts the members liked. Production Īfter a week of pre-production, Jimmy Eat World began recording Clarity with Mark Trombino in May and June 1998 the band and Trombino shared the producer credit.
When the project ended, it left behind a collection of unreleased songs on which Jimmy Eat World would later work on for their next album. In early 1998, frontman Jim Adkins and guitarist Tom Linton were part of a six-person side project that would have consisted of soft rock material. Sometime after this, Jimmy Eat World released a split single with Jejune that was released through Big Wheel Recreation. A three-way split single was released through Crank! A Record Company that featured Jimmy Eat World, Sense Field, and Mineral, which included an early version of what would become "Crush". Jimmy Eat World promoted Static Prevails with a short tour of the United States, and a cross-country tour with Sense Field in early 1997. The Dallas Observer said the sampler and a lack of promotion were seen as the label cutting its losses. Capitol included two songs on promotional samplers that were sent to programming directors at radio stations the label said it was part of a development process it had for the band. Static Prevails saw the band shift away from the pop-punk sound of their earlier work, and into post-hardcore and emo. The recording process was hampered by recurring clashes with the band's record label, who insisted the band rework some of their songs and write new ones, and wanted to engage different producers. Jimmy Eat World released their second album Static Prevails through Capitol Records in July 1996.
5.1 Retrospective reviews and influence.4.1 Reissues and full-album performances.Some music critics have credited the album as a huge influence on later acts such as Something Corporate, the Wonder Years, and Chris Carrabba of Dashboard Confessional. The album has since amassed cult status and critical acclaim, and has been lauded as one of the best emo albums of all time by publications such as Kerrang!, LA Weekly, and Rolling Stone. The album received favorable reviews from music critics, many of whom praised the dynamic instrumentation. The album has been re-released several times, and has been performed in its entirety by the band on multiple occasions.Ĭlarity reached number 30 on the US Billboard Heatseekers Albums chart, and peaked at number 47 in Germany. Clarity was released worldwide in 2001, where it was promoted with "Lucky Denver Mint" and "Blister". The band then toured Europe, and played three US shows before going on a break. In spite of promotion for "Lucky Denver Mint", Clarity was deemed a commercial failure, and Capitol dropped the band in August 1999. Jimmy Eat World went on a six-week tour of the United States, and appeared on that year's Warped Tour. "Lucky Denver Mint" and "Blister" were released as singles in 1999 a music video was later made for the former, which was directed by Darren Doane. Clarity, which is described as an emo, pop-punk, and punk rock release, marked the beginning of frontman Jim Adkins' tenure as the band's main vocalist, taking over from guitarist Tom Linton.įollowing the release of Jimmy Eat World's self-titled second EP (1998), " Lucky Denver Mint" began airing on radio in January 1999. The recording sessions began at Sound City in Van Nuys, California, before moving to Clear Lake Audio in North Hollywood, California.
The band recorded a follow-up with producer Mark Trombino in May and June 1998, and were free to make it however they wanted without interference from Capitol. It was released on February 23, 1999, through Capitol Records, with which Jimmy Eat World clashed several times while recording their second studio album Static Prevails (1996). Clarity is the third studio album by American rock band Jimmy Eat World.