Futures

Once all your rock dreams come true, what do you do for an encore? Jimmy Eat World's new CD, "Futures," is the answer to that question. It's a sprawling, gorgeous, heavy-yet-quiet epic -- perhaps their best sounding record yet. It's also the most eclectic, with songs ranging from ambitious hard rock ("Futures," "Pain") to epic ballads ("Drugs Or Me," "23") to every kind of crystalline pop/rock formation in-between ("Work," "The World You Love," "Kill"). There are a few new wrinkles to the band's sound, including more intricate vocal harmonies, more prominent keyboards and strings, lyrics that wrestle with pivotal life choices and their repercussions, and a surprising number of guitar solos. An early "Futures" standout comes with the third track, the guitar-pop stunner "Work" featuring Liz Phair (!) on back-up vocals. Enhanced CD includes an auto link to a secret site loaded with fan extras and exclusives.