Jimmy Eat World / Blueprint
Split 7''
Abridged
1996
Rating: 7 transparent doctors out of 10
A double helping of mid-nineties emo. Jimmy Eat World takes side A with a pair of songs called "Christmas Card" and "Untitled," but if memory served "Untitled" is a barely a song at all. It's a very catchy song though, very much inline with their early sound that was poppy but not completely polished for a radio-friendly audience. The song would even be included as a bonus track on later versions of their first full-length "Clarity." The B side is Blueprint with "In-Between Angels," a much lesser-known band that follows the same basic recipe musically as Jimmy Eat World. If it weren't for the vocals being a little different you'd probably assume it actually was JEW.
Jimmy Eat World / Jejune
Split 7''
Big Wheel Recreation
1997
Rating: 7.5 ass kickers out of 10
I was insanely nuts for the first couple of Jimmy Eat World records, they excelled at blending good pop hooks with the emo/punk sound that was popular with people like me in those days; and then they jumped the "over produced" shark with 2001's "Bleed American" and I haven't really paid attention since to be honest. Based on how big their fanbase became I'm pretty sure they're not too broken up at the loss of my fandom. This record is very much from their good years - in fact, the first of their two tracks "What I Would Say To You Now" would be in the running for one of their best songs ever. It makes up for the fact that the second song is pretty much a throwaway. I'll give this seven inch a high rating just for that first song though.
The flip side is Jejune, female-front emo-pop, a good match for Jimmy Eat World though not at their level of fame (or quality in my opinion). Decent songs but nothing worth punching a horse in the throat over.
