Following the release of their second album LP2 in 1995, the members

of Sunny Day Real Estate went their separate ways. Lead singer and

guitarist Jeremy Enigk found Jesus, became a born-again Christians, and

released two critically acclaimed solo albums. Bassist Nate Mendel and

drummer William Goldsmith found Dave Grohl, became Foo Fighters, and

released two commercially successful pop rock albums. The band — minus

Mendel, who stayed on with the cushy Foo Fighters gig — re-formed last year to record How It Feels to Be Something On, and launched a

well-received "reunion" tour, although it's up for debate whether a layoff

of two and a half years really constitutes a breakup. The reunion, or

whatever, seems to have taken; SDRE (sorry, I don't get paid by the word)

has just signed to Time Bomb Records and is working on new material with the

appropriately named Joe Bass playing bass. The brand new and also

appropriately named Live album, recorded this past May in Eugene,

Oregon, is the band's swan song for Sub Pop, and perfectly captures the feel

of the band's famously intense live performances.

Sunny Day Real Estate songs are, by definition, tiny epics, building from

hushed, understated beginnings into overheated cacophonies of guitars,

drums, and wailing vocals without ever sounding formulaic or predictable.

Sometimes the build is slow and steady, such as in "Song About an Angel,"

and other times the explosion happens almost immediately, as in the

blistering version of "The Prophet" (RealAudio excerpt). But the songs always go from one place

to another, never remaining on any one emotional or sonic plane for very

long, and this is something to witness live. "Every Shining Time You

Arrive" (RealAudio excerpt) and the album-closing "Days Were Golden" tend to be on more of an

even keel, but this is not to say that they're any less effective or potent.

For the uninitiated, this new live album is a great place to start.

Consisting of an even distribution of selections from the three studio

albums, the eleven songs that make up the live record are an excellent cross

section of the band's output to date. Only Diary's "Seven," arguably

the band's most well-known song, is conspicuously absent. The one-two punch

of "The Prophet" and "J'Nuh" (RealAudio excerpt) is flat-out exhausting to listen to — that's a

compliment. "In Circles," also from Diary, is also a standout,

showcasing SDRE's ability to pull off complex whisper-to-a-scream

arrangements with the greatest of ease.

On the other hand, diehard fans may be disappointed by the lack of rarities

included on this collection. It's entirely possible that this quick release

is more contractual obligation than inspired project, but that does not

detract from its value as a piece of music. SDRE's reputation has grown to

near-legendary status in their brief absence, as evidenced by the reverential

treatment accorded the band during its recent return. The "This Ain't No

Picnic" show held this past July 4th in Los Angeles saw Sunny Day Real

Estate receive billing over other, more prolific indie rock heavyweights

such as Guided By Voices, Sleater-Kinney, Superchunk, and Rocket From the

Crypt. Only the venerable Sonic Youth were billed higher, seemingly

cementing SDRE's reputation as one of the premier rock bands playing today.

Curious as to why? Want to know more? Buy this.