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As far as I know, I'm the only member of this here Collective that really loved Sunny Day Real Estate-- although I did note the presence of Jeremy Enigk's emo-prog record World Waits in Tex Plush's iTunes library last summer.
Anyway, Enigk is back with a new solo album that's a big rebound from World Waits, which sounded more like late-period Peter Gabriel than Sunny Day Real Estate. The new record, called OK Bear, has a lot in common with the last SDRE album and the Fire Theft album Enigk released during a transition period.
It doesn't quite reach the high points of SDRE/Enigk's career (How It Feels to Be Something On, Return of the Frog Queen), but that's an extremely high bar in my opinion.
Either way, it's just nice to recall a time when "emo" referred to dynamic, musically progressive acts like Enigk instead of Conor Oberst or Dashboard Confessional sounding like they're about to pass a kidney stone.
9 comments:
D - your references are so hilariously "Willoughby-esque". and btw, haven't you heard? Conor Oberst is roots rock now. Get with it.
For the record, i LOVE SDRE, and i'm especially partial to The Rising Tide, which is generally thought of as one of their weakers albums, right? i love how over the top and Geddy Lee it gets.
The only Jeremy E. I know is "Return of the Frog Queen" but I loved that album in high school - for some reason, I always paired it (when listening, not stylistically) with Eric Matthews' "It's Heavy In Here", which I still think is an unheralded gem.
Check out this awesome song:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RLSKfNVbEa8
But Tex, the Willoughby years were when "emo" as pop culture knows it was at its peak. Weren't you with me at the Yo La Tengo show in Hoboken where Oberst made a guest appearance? He had both of the top 2 albums on the Billboard charts at the time.
You could go back further in "emo" history I suppose-- I'm thinking Promise Ring and Jets to Brazil, but either way the story is the same. Mediocre acts that got the attention that SDRE deserved.
Also Tex, I didn't count you as a strong SDRE fan because I have a vivid memory of driving with you in a car junior year of college and listening to The Rising Tide. You-- at the time at least-- said you were lukewarm on it because it was too prog for you.
Of course this was in 2001. I fully respect (and embrace) the fact that you now love that album, but I definitely remember the remark because I was sad you didn't like it more.
I can even picture where we were: Turning from Sheridan Road to Lake Shore Drive headed south. I think the road is called Hollywood Ave.
Also, Dr. K... I LOVE that Eric Matthews album. I will reply in the post above.
if i ever didn't like it, it was a brief occurrence. I actually really got into it at the Willoughby house.
i don't think i was at that Yo La Tengo show, but i will be when they open for Wilco at Keyspan Park this summer!
Actually, I now remember you weren't there. I bought the ticket for you but you had to cancel last minute so I went with someone else. Actually it might have been Eric?
Nope. Was that a hannukah show? I still haven't been to any YLT Hannukah shows. We saw them in DC. Or at least, I think you were there for that. That's the only time I saw them live.
Yeah, I did see them in DC with you. Was that 9:30 or Black Cat? BTW, the 9:30 Club is prominently featured in Ashes of American Flags, which is a good flick. (Although admittedly less so when you get home from watching it and find out that Jay Bennett is dead.)
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