Jimmy Eat World w/ We Were Promised Jetpacks

Perhaps no other band is as responsible for the proliferation of emo in its current form than Jimmy Eat World. Though the group began as a rough-edged emocore outfit in the mold of Sunny Day Real Estate, by its 2001 major-label breakthrough Bleed American the group had softened its sound and dialed up the pop. That record yielded the major hits “The Middle” and “Sweetness,” two song titles that aptly described the band’s more accessible sound. The group’s new album, Invented , reunites them with their early-era producer Mark Trombino, who returns a little bit of the toughness to the band’s recording, though it’s balanced out by a track list heavy on slow songs and ballads.