The Quietus makes the case that Jimmy Eat World’s three album run from 1996 to 2001 perfectly encapsulates early to modern emo.
Released between 1996 and 2001, Jimmy Eat World’s second, third and fourth albums – Static Prevails, Clarity and Bleed American – bridge emo’s past and present. They illustrate its story as a cultural sensation: how it got swept out of suburban basements, boosted by burgeoning social media, and elevated into a significant force in the music industry. These three albums chart Jimmy Eat World’s mid-90s ascent, major label disappointment, and mainstream breakthrough in chronological order, but they also mirror emo’s journey from a DIY network, to a trend, to an international phenomenon.
Each album has a great songs, while I prefer Clarity, Bleed American is the most accessible.