Manic Rollercoaster Music
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.