Take a deep breath and clear these words from the system: Sunny Day Real Estate. They no longer exist, they will not be back and good riddance. The Fire Theft is, however, Jeremy Enigk, Nate Mendel, and William Goldsmith of Sunny Day and their self-titled debut is an impressive nod to their previous work and their influences.
"The Fire Theft" is an ambient and longing look at atmosphere and layers. Enigk makes strides above his terribly overrated but critically lauded solo album, "Return of the Frog Queen." Enigk's lyrics are simple but effective and thought provoking. "I want love/ if love wants me/ I want God/ if God wants me," he pleads in the impressive opening number, "Uncle Mountain." His music is another story.
Too complex for just one listen, "The Fire Theft" features aspects of Eastern music that the late George Harrison found so provocative, combined with the layers and layers of sound that Sunny Day did so well. Using a respectable sized orchestra - string section, horn section, glockenspiel, female vocals and children's choir for many tracks - adds another level to the already thick sound.
"The Fire Theft" works along the same lines as My Morning Jacket's "It Still Moves." Unabashed signs of respect toward music the artists grew up enjoying are melded with splashes of individuality that begs an argument of who influenced whom (granted the answer is obvious).
Enigk's voice, while very unique, still manages to recall Peter Gabriel, Harrison and Sting at every turn. His melodies are very similar to those used by Gabriel and Phil Collins in early Genesis work and his delivery is convincingly Beatle-esque. Mendel's simple bass work seems a refreshing job for him, as his work with the Foofighters is much more active and pounding. Combined with Goldsmith, the rhythm section provides a steady background for Enigk's creative mind without stealing its thunder.
Call The Fire Theft the experimental-period Beatles of the former emo crowd. "The Fire Theft" is an impressive debut for the band, and hopefully not its last since rumors of the band's break-up have abounded since the three SDRE members reformed. Those expecting a SDRE record will be disappointed, but those expecting a SDRE record should've had the intelligence to realize that this is a different band. So screw the hype and check out the band.
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
