SUNNY DAY REAL ESTATE – DIARY Vinyl 2xLP Hot on Sale

Sunny Day Real Estate s debut album, Diary, virtually defined emo in the 90s, laying much of the groundwork (along with Weezer) for the genre s end-of-decade indie prominence. Although emo existed (both as a term and as a style) prior to Diary, it hadn t yet risen out of the deepest hardcore punk underground, save for a few bands on the Dischord label. For all intents and purposes, Diary was the album that made emo accessible, fusing its gnarled guitars and nakedly emotional vocals with more than a hint of melodic Seattle grunge. SDRE s song structures are far more oblique than, for example, the similarly anthemic Pearl Jam, but it s still easy to miss the group s main inspirations if you re not looking for them. Perhaps that s because, at bottom, SDRE don t sound much like their emo predecessors. For one, there are plenty of quiet, arpeggiated passages and contrasting dynamics; for another, vocalist Jeremy Enigk is more of a crooner than a screamer at heart, and the underlying tenderness in his voice breathes majesty into the group s slow, languid melodies. Yet, while Diary s true heart lies in its soaring, introspective anthems (like the band s signature song, In Circles ), the more tortured, visceral moments balance things out, preventing the album from wallowing in melodramatic self-obsession. In retrospect, Diary doesn t quite fulfill all of its ambitions — there are a few underfocused moments that don t achieve the epic sweep of the album s best compositions. That occasional inconsistency makes it feel somewhat less realized than their proggier post-reunion work, especially since Enigk would develop into a far more distinctive vocalist. But even if it isn t quite the top-to-bottom masterpiece its legions of imitators suggest, Diary still ranks as arguably the definitive 90s emo album, and an indispensable introduction to the genre. [The remastered 2009 edition adds new liner notes and 2 bonus tracks ( 8 and 9 ) taken from the Thief Steal Me a Peach 7. ]