Jimmy Eat World / Blueprint

Split [7-inch] (1996)

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Jimmy Eat World signed on with Capitol Records in 1995 and released their second album Static Prevails the following year. From the time they finished the album, and up to 1999’s fantastic Clarity, the band began collaborating with like minded artists and released various singles on small independent labels, usually as 7” records. In 1996 on the independent label Abridged Records they did a self-titled split with the equally amazing band Blueprint. This happens to contain my favorite Jimmy Eat World song ever.

The song “Christmas Card” is an anthem. An old Emo anthem mind you. Once you hear its youthful energy you cannot help but be picked up by the soaring honesty and wistful thoughts. It’s one of “those” songs you know? An old Emo track that can uplift you and make you think on things you otherwise might not have. There are a few others out there I can compare it to. For example, there’s “Blue Boy” by Texas is the Reason, “Picture Postcard” by The Promise Ring, and “Parking Lot” by Mineral. Those three songs fill the room with a sort of melon collie emotion that I have never been able to shake.

This is the magic that Emo music from back then carried. It can be done today also, but where to start when a lot of it sounds the same?

The second Jimmy song is simply an instrumental, but a welcome addition. I don’t count it as a track though because it’s really just a run-off from Christmas Card. It is however one of those Emo instrumentals that can fill in the spaces with atmospheric joy and I can get really technical and nerdy and list some of those types of songs here, but then that would mean you’d skip through albums just to jam them and not get then entire context that the bands were going for. These are those earworms working to make you get the feels man.

Third track on the split is “In-Between Angels” by Blueprint and it fits like a glove. Blueprint were also an Emo band from back in the day and are not often mentioned when talking about the old scene unless you chat with the more hardcore fans.

*Fun Fact* Blueprint were one of the very few Emo bands to play on the BBC John Peel Sessions!

Why does classic Emo music make me think about the TV Show The Adventures of Pete and Pete? Is it that suburban thing?

Dig it.