You Can Be My Wave

Sunny Day Real Estate's sophomore album LP2 should not be good. The pioneering emo band reluctantly dragged the album across the finish line after they decided to break up during the recording sessions. Jeremy Enigk's vocals mostly remained, however, in most cases lyrics weren't written yet. Enigk mumbled and sang nonsense just to bring this album to some semblance of a conclusion. The label hounded the band for direction on the album's title and accompanying visuals and all they got was a tired William Goldsmith (drummer) saying something to the effect of "I don't know, make it pink." How can this much apathy still result in a good, let alone perfect if you ask me, album?

I can't say definitively why, but all I know is that when Enigk and Dan Hoerner's clean guitars twinkle harmoniously, Nate Mendel's bass glides around his thoughtful basslines, and Goldsmith performs with his typical nuance and dynamics behind the kit, it typically leads to some of the most emotionally potent music available. The absence of any sort of overarching, thematic cues amplifies that emotional energy and also showcases just how magical the band is when they communicate with each other via their instruments. It's important to note that even though little effort was put into the lyrics, Enigk's vocal performances remain expressive and incredibly passionate. At times he sounds quite timid; his softest sounds coming across quite fragile. However, he can explode with a rush of distorted intensity that is powerful, yet still non-threatening.

LP2 never misses; from the beautiful guitar ensemble that softly introduces Friday all the way up until the volatile and enraged conclusion of Rodeo Jones. I love the progression of Theo B which has these very clean descending guitar arpeggios for a good majority of the track before the song takes a rather urgent turn. Guitars have considerably more gain, riffs are a little more contentious, and Goldsmith's performances are a little more heavy handed. 5/4 is another emotionally rich track as the verses have the warmest guitar melodies played in a transfixing time signature for which the song gets its title. However, the song takes another (this time tragic) turn once the guitar distortion and crashing cymbals come in. All the beauty quickly turns to pain right before your eyes making this song one of the more tragic cuts on the record.

Waffle is mischief, melancholy, and joy all wrapped in one. A standout due to Mendel's whimsical bassline played in its upper register as well as the way it builds towards this very overwhelmingly content finale. Thankfully, there's a gradual decrease in tempo in the song's final eighteen seconds, prolonging that moment of bliss for just a tad longer. While I prefer the Thief, Steal Me a Peach version of 8 due to its more raw presentation, Enigk's voice cracks, slightly faster pace, and a more unrelenting drum performance from Goldsmith, its inclusion on this record is still very much welcome as it's a great tune no matter what. It's still interesting to hear more angelic belting from Enigk on the chorus considering that this is one of the more straightforward rock cuts here. One slight improvement this version has over the original is the guitar feedback that rings out over a more broken down final verse. The overtones are so rich and the harmonies that the two guitars intermittently create are really cool.

Iscarabaid is the oddest number in the tracklist. The verses feel rather discombobulated as everyone seems to be playing their own thing; and they don't quite line up. Enigk's vocals come in and out of focus by way of watery effects, intentionally choking phrases, or maybe just meandering around the vocal booth during the take. It's unclear exactly how that vocal was captured. The point is that everything isn't quite in sync, which would typically be a bad thing, except that it makes the choruses played in unison all the more explosive and powerful. By comparison, the band is their tightest on J'Nuh given the sections with some pretty heavy metric modulation. These very regimented staccato guitar stabs in these sections seemingly loop endlessly, and it's something I can just get lost in.

If Diary is a rush of emo angst, and How It Feels to Be Something On is a more measured, thoughtful, and spiritual approach to emo, LP2 finds itself somewhere in the middle; a sweet spot for me personally. I understand if others don't feel the same way I do as the album is a little on the short side, a little more mellow, and it's clear that the album is not as 'complete' as it could have been. However, I think this record adequately represents the complex nature of Sunny Day Real Estate, a band that clearly has a lot of sentimental value for the parties involved, but for one reason or another can't rally behind that to keep the band together. The writing may have been on the wall as they were crafting the songs for LP2, and therefore I think those complex emotions were channeled and deeply embedded into the DNA of this record. It's bittersweet melancholy, confusion, disappointment, and a whole host of other things. I love it completely.