Sunny Day Real Estate was an “emo” band formed in 1992 Seattle, WA. They released their first LP in 1994 called diary. This album got a good amount of media attention with songs like “In Circles” and “Seven”. They took a 3 year brake at around 1995 and just before that they released a no-named album with an album cover that was entirely pink. Fans dubbed it LP2. After about 3 years they came back with a successful album named “how it feels to be something on”. Fans were taken aback that SDRE had returned with a full length album. This album is a fan favorite and did pretty well for a third time around.
Now we have “The Rising Tide”, released in the early summer of 2000. Sunny Day Real Estate had then signed with Time Bomb records, which is something they probably regret. After this LP was released Time Bomb could no longer fund the band and they had to be dropped. After this shocking moment the group called it a quits.
This is one of their more under-looked albums. It contains many good quality songs while staying mostly consistent. Jeremy Enigk’s falsetto voice matches well with his tortured yet poetic lyrics. The rest of the band does a pretty good job of backing these up.
With gentle acoustic tracks like “Rain Song” and “The Ocean” and heavy distorted yet fulfilling tracks such as “Fool in the Photograph” and “Snibe” Sunny Day Real Estate satisfies the listener either way.
-The Band-
Guitar/vocals: Jeremy Enigk
Guitar/back up vocals: Dan Hoerner
Bass: Jeff Palmer
Drums: William Goldsmith
Track by Track Review
1.) “Killed by an Angel” starts of with drums coning from the distance and an excellent guitar riff. They then go into a calm verse with Jeremy’s high vocals which many people think are about substance abuse. The chorus repeats the opening line and does a very good job at it. This is a good opener and a great song over all. 4.5/5
2.) “One” opens with an epic guitar tune that is repeated through the verse. The lyrics are interesting and make you think. When the chorus comes around it will be stuck in your head. The bridge is a highlight part of the song and plays variations on the opening riff. This song is very decent but not the best off the album. 4/5
3.) “Rain Song” is a soft acoustic piece. It’s basically a love song with beautiful lyrics. The use of strings throughout is a nice touch. This track is just so peaceful and melodic that you just can’t resist it. The lack of percussion makes it even more of a gentle song. This song is a very good listen and I would recommend it to any fan. 5/5
4.) “Disappear” begins with thundering drums and a clean guitar. It gets heavier in the verse as William adds the snare and the bass comes in. The chorus can’t get better and is very catchy. This is a very underrated track and deserves more attention. Overall this is a solid song with a nice drumming on Will’s part. 4.5/5
5.) “Snibe” starts with some faint echo and a solid bass comes in that is the structure of the song. The lyrics may be about environmental issues or rants about the government, not very sure. The guitars join the bass line in the chorus creating a powerful riff. There is a bridge that contains a vocoder and high pitched pianos that makes a nice little tune until they kick back into the verse and finish off with the chorus with multi-tracked voices of Jeremy over it. This is one of the best off the album and is worth the listen. 5/5
6.) “The Ocean” is another calm track with acoustic guitars in the verse and gets slightly heavier in the chorus. The lyrics are gentle and somewhat content for SDRE. The chorus is brilliant and same with the calming verses. The Ocean is a nice little break between these two heavy tracks and is a good relaxing song. 4/5
7.) “Fool in the Photograph” opens with a heavy guitar riff and switches to the appealing verses. The chorus is somewhat catchy but this whole song gets rather repetitive and could have been better if they added some more variety. Although the outro is pretty nice but it doesn’t change the song. Its not the worst off the album but not the best either 3.75/5
8.) “Tearing in my Heart” has a weird opening sample of some lady walking and listening to kids that lasts a little to long. The actual song is very laid back and peaceful. It has a nice verse but lacks the consistency just like “Fool in the Photograph” They play the verse pretty much the whole song and gets boring rather fast. This is still a nice song but isn’t a good song if you’re new to this band. 3.5/5
9.) “Television” begins with some weird synth-like effects then goes into an annoying poppy track. The verses are not like SDRE and isn’t very creative. But after the verse the rest of the song redeems itself with a great chorus but then goes back to the annoying chorus again. This song is rather mediocre and doesn’t really add to the album. 3.5/5
10.) “Faces in Disguise” is probably the best track off the album. This track starts with synth strings and Jeremy’s wispy vocals. The chorus is catchy and builds up to the verse. This next verse adds the guitar as the drums get more complex. The chorus comes around again and flows into the best part of the song. Next comes the other chorus one would say but it is absolutely gorgeous. Jeremy shouts some cryptic but great lyrics then flows into the verse. The track continues in this structure. It is just a masterpiece and one of the best on the record. 5/5
11.) “The Rising Tide” starts off with all the guys playing a somewhat heavy tune then goes into the verse with beautiful lyrics and singing. The verse leads into the catchy chorus that is primarily Jeremy singing. This song is great and has the normal verse chorus verse chorus form until it turns into a guitar driven interlude but only for a bit but then goes back to the verse and chorus. The outro has interesting feedback and synth type noises. This song is great and makes up for the weak songs on the album. 5/5
Now that the track by track is over here are the pros and cons
Pros:
-Many good songs
-Great vocals/lyrics
-Inventive guitar work
Cons:
-The middle isn’t as good as the rest
-The bass doesn’t shine that much
Good tracks: Killed by an Angel, Rain Song, Snibe, Faces in Disguise, and The Rising Tide
This album is one of their best and is a definite listen for any fan. It has a lot to offer and can’t be overlooked. It is a good end for Sunny Day Real Estate and is an overall great album. This is a recommendation for any indie or just plain old rock lover.
