Jimmy Eat World are an emo band. This much is true - but on Clarity they take pride in the fact that they can stretch far beyond that. The album plays like a dream. Moments can be jarring, tones shift from song to song. The closing "Goodbye Sky Harbor" is achingly beautiful, though when I first heard it, I thought the CD was broken until new instrumental elements crept into the mix toward the end. Clarity thrives on this kind of beauty, though - Bleed American, its followup, would contain tighter songs and stronger hooks, but Clarity is a curious kind of album. It's a dense record, whose production is on par with Elvis Costello's Imperial Bedroom, even if the songs can't quite distinguish themselves from each other. While moments here and there meander a bit, the melodies and string arrangements make it feel important, a big moment from a band hitting its stride.
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