Clarity was released on 23 February 1999 through Capitol. Jimmy Eat World made it with producer Mark Trombino at Sound City and Clear Lake Audio, using the opportunity to layer strings, keyboards, percussion and programming around the band's guitar core.
Go Beyond Lucky Denver Mint
Lucky Denver Mint is an easy way in, but there's so much around it. Table for Glasses starts patiently, Just Watch the Fireworks builds with strings, and Goodbye Sky Harbor takes a short lyrical passage through a sixteen-minute ending.
The strange path to release
Lucky Denver Mint first appeared on a small EP and gained radio attention before the label finally committed to the album. The song also reached the Never Been Kissed soundtrack, but the record still underperformed and Capitol dropped the band. Touring then helped Jimmy Eat World finance the sessions that became Bleed American.
Listen For The Smaller Details
Clarity gets loud, but often it's a smaller detail that catches you: a drum pattern, a string line or a voice close to cracking. You can hear its influence in the fuller production of later emo records, while it keeps the intimacy of the 1990s scene.
This is an album that rewards another listen. There always seems to be a detail you hadn't quite noticed before.
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