Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock in the last ten years, you certainly know about Sunny Day Real Estate and the impact they had on the indie music culture. They single-handedly created a sound that was truly pioneering, with such classic albums as LP2 and Diary, and became unsung heroes to indie kids and adults everywhere. I can count to a hundred with the amount of memorable moments in my life that had Diary playing in the background. So a reunion would certainly be a treat to many, right? Well, that depends.
Three of the four members of Sunny Day Real Estate (Jeremy Enigk, William Goldsmith and Nate Mendel) regroup and completely forget their previous efforts during their time as SDRE. The group becomes The Fire Theft and the release of their self-titled debut has brought many individuals to a perplexed state of concfusion. Instead of drawing from previous success and reinventing it to today’s musical standards, The Fire Theft go way back to the 70s and conjure up the ghosts of early day Genesis... yes, you heard me right, GENESIS!
Prog rock has become the central focus of the album and completely overshadows any movement forward with the musical approach. Full of brooding segues and ambient soundscapes, the album dives directly into the unknown and comes up utterly flat. But along with the sound of yesteryears is the conclusion that many indie moguls will hold; this album is truly uneventful and uncharacteristically boring. And before you go on and dismiss The Fire Theft completely, please bear in mind that this album isn’t bad; it just isn’t Sunny Day Real Estate. And if you are looking for a complete reunion of the group, please refrain from considering this record. Bitter disappointment will follow.
1. Uncle Mountain
2. Waste Time Segue
3. Oceans Apart
4. Chain
5. Backward Blues
6. Summertime
7. Houses
8. Waste Time
9. Heaven
10. Rubber Bands
11. It's Over
12. Carry You
13. Sinatra
More about: The Fire Theft
