Bright and shimmering, Futures will do what 2001's platinum Bleed American (renamed after 9/11 Jimmy Eat World) should have done: lead to world domination. While the success of the last disc made the foursome an MTV and WB soundtrack staple, their fifth CD should propel them to even greater heights, thanks to poppy cuts that tackle themes like voter apathy and depression with a deceptively light touch. On the tight title track, the political message hides in hypermelodic choruses and crunching guitars. A strong anti-substance-abuse sentiment is cloaked in the hushed soundscape of "Drugs or Me." But the boys still know how to rock an old-school love song. The standout is "Work," a radio-ready last-dance, last-chance lament featuring Liz Phair on background vocals and frontman Jim Adkins wistfully singing, "All I can say, I shouldn't say/ Can we take a ride?/ Get out of this place while we still have time."
DOWNLOAD THIS: "Work"
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