no real rock muscle to be flexed" with Clarity. Pitchfork writer Brent DiCrescenzo was dismissive of the album, writing; "There's no edge, no barb, no emotion. Sure, they may have come from the 'emo' scene, but the feelings here are so adolescent and stale that it's hard to be moved." Clarity peaked at number 30 on the US Billboard Heatseekers Albums chart, and also charted at number 47 in Germany. Clarity went on to sell 50,000 copies, which Jimmy Eat World were impressed with but Capitol was not. Retrospective reviews Despite being largely overlooked upon its release, Clarity critical stature has grown since 1999; it is now viewed as "the Led Zeppelin IV of emo rock". Before the band's 10th-anniversary tour of the album, Pete Cottell of the Phoenix New Times wrote; "What's truly admirable about the album is that it moves in so many different directions without getting lost on its journey [...] Unlike the 12 other tracks on Clarity, ["Goodbye Sky Harbor"] is an almost impossible undertaking upon first listen. Once you've made it to the 13-minute mark, however, you'll never hit the skip button again." Cottell also stated; "I intently listened to each of the 13 tracks, fearing I would be let down [...] Ten years later, its safe to say that I've given up. Clarity is perfect." Leor Galil of the Bostonist, noted; "The album has been hailed as a cult and indie classic, and is one of a few go-to records that cemented an aural aesthetic known as emo, and is a genuinely deft and moving piece of music from start to finish". Upon its re-issue in 2007, Blender magazine noted Clarity "established a foundation for 21st century emo. Dozens of weepy bottom-feeders have tried to write mid-20s angst anthems better than the soaring "Lucky Denver Mint" or the delicately heartbroken "Just Watch The Fireworks"—but few have succeeded." Tim Nelson of BBC Music was praising in his 2007 review of the album; "The band and Trombino deserve credit for blending heartfelt, yearning vocals and rock dynamics with adventurous production and unique instrumentation". Nate Chinen writing for The New York Times said "Clarity was a pivotal album for Jimmy Eat World, the first to feature Jim Adkins on lead vocals instead of Mr. Linton and the last to reflect the heart-on-sleeve values of emocore more than the hard gleam of pop-punk". Chinen said the tracks convey