An Album A Day... Discography Edition
Picking favorites and rambling about preferences.
We made it to February! It’s been a full month and I still haven’t given up just yet! Sorry for being a day late, I just had one more album in the featured Sunny Day Real Estate discography review series that I wanted to make sure it was finished before publishing the full blog for the week. It was extremely fun finally diving into Sunny Day Real Estate, and there was so much to unpack… but boy am I glad I finally gave them a shot. Don’t worry though, this isn’t just a discography review, I included some other albums in between for a mental writing break for myself, including a rant review for one of my favorite modern metal albums, a reflection of a 00s emo classic, and a long overdue review of probably my favorite hip hop album ever. Instead of giving you my reviews in order of how they appeared on my Substack this week, I will divide it into the first half consisting of the discography review and the second half with the rest of the albums discussed this week. Feel free to read one or the other or none of the above! But without further a do, lets’s get into this jam packed week of reviewing!
Sunny Day Real Estate - Diary
Alright, so I have heard “In Circles” before in one of those Essential Emo playlists that Spotify curates or whatever, but I never really knew who the band or album was. The Little People looking figures on the album artwork were intriguing, but it was always something I saw in online discourse or in Spotify suggestions, never within my actual rotation. I had heard numerous people call Diary an essential emo album and one of the best albums out there, but I just never got around to it — until today that is. So, are these claims correct? Is Diary truly one of the best albums out there?
I’ll be blunt, I don’t really think so.
Now, before you get upset with me, hear me out. This is a phenomenal record, and there is a lot to talk about. I think this is one of the best bridges between grunge and emo out there. “Shadows” is a perfect example of this. The verses are full of clean, reverb-laden guitars featuring classic arpeggiated emo-sounding chords, which are then contrasted by more driven, distorted choruses that lean into the more intense side of grunge and post-hardcore. Some tracks dip into the emo style more often, like the softly delivered “The Blankets Were The Stairs” with hazy sounding guitars in the chorus and the twinkly, lofty guitars of “In Circles” (disregarding that heavier hitting riff in the bridge). On the other end, the chorus of “48” features punchy drum chops and multi-layered gritty guitars with a raspy, harsh vocal delivery that complements the grungier tonality of Sunny Day Real Estate’s performance. The balance is perfected throughout Diary, and it truly sounds ahead of its time as a whole.
However, I don’t think that makes it one of the best albums out there. Yes, the highlights are phenomenal, and I could go on and on about them, but I think they also miss the mark at times. I love the balance of the aggression and peacefulness captured by Diary, yet a song like “Round” spends a little too much time in the grunge department that it loses its charm pretty early on. The carnival-like piano interlude (?) “Pheurton Skeleton” is a cool piece that sounds rather unique, but it feels so out of place in between two of my favorite songs on the record. One thing I haven’t even talked about is how much I love Jeremy Enigk’s vocals. Whether he’s hitting a soaring falsetto melody or hitting some incoherent wail/shout, his performance is a clear highlight throughout Diary — which is what makes closer “Sometimes” a little bit disappointing. The instrumentation concludes in an absolutely epic fashion with a more abrasive approach, but I feel like Enigk’s vocals were almost restrained to an extent for the massive finale. It’s a great song, but it feels like it’s missing that final key element at the very end, which makes it just slightly empty.
Nonetheless, this is a great introduction into Sunny Day Real Estate. I can’t believe it took me this long to finally check out Diary, but it’s about time I did. I see why people call this an essential emo record, and I would probably agree with that statement because of its clear influence on bridging the gap between the heavier side of post-hardcore and grunge with the twinkly and (simultaneously) distraught side of emo. However, even though it is essential, I wouldn’t go out of my way to say it’s one of the best records out there, but rather a key piece to the genre that laid the foundation for so much more. I can’t wait to dive deeper into the rest of their releases over the next few days.
8/10Favorite Track: Shadows
Least Favorite Track: Round
Final Thoughts: I didn’t include it in my review above because I only wanted to talk about the original tracklist, but “8” might be up there as my favorite song alongside “Shadows”
Sunny Day Real Estate - LP2
I totally understand why most people put Diary as the better album in Sunny Day Real Estate’s discography considering its legacy in the emo genre — but have they fully listened to LP2? The context surrounding this record works against it entirely: the band had already decided to break-up prior to their 1994 tour, there was controversy surrounding Jeremy Enigk’s sudden conversion to Christianity and potential reasons for the band’s dissolve, and the actual album itself was partially incomplete (I will elaborate further later). As a result, LP2 tends to get overshadowed in their catalog, especially considering its placement between the revered Diary and the other fan-favorite How It Feels To Be Something On. Which is truly unfortunate considering how massive this record is.
Similar to Diary, LP2 strikes the balance between the softer emo side and the more aggressive, grunge-tinted style of the band. However, this time around, the harder hitting sections are covered with a hazy, moody blanket that deviates from the riff-centric efforts of the previous release. Instead, these moments don’t create a divide between the two styles, but rather acts as a bridge, progressively transforming the clean passages into raw and emotional catharsis. This is particularly noticeable in tracks like “5/4” and “Waffle” that build tension with the subdued use of eerie, ambient guitar work that finally erupts into a wall of distortion, complemented by Enigk’s faltering and fragile-sounding vocals. However, where LP2 truly excels is within the subtle and quiet moments. Twinkly guitars saturate the verses of “Theo B,” leaning heavily into a Midwest emo style with perfection, while the abstract “Iscarabaid” with its buried vocal mix relies more on its unpolished feel to amplify the soft instrumentation.
Now, let me get back to one of my statements from the introduction. As I said, parts of LP2 were actually unfinished due to the fact that they were actively breaking up due to internal conflicts at the time. If you’ve listened to the album, the instrumentation and production itself feels quite complete and immense sounding — the actual unfinished product is the lyrics. According to Enigk himself, since the band was essentially broken up during the recording, he and Dan Hoerner never sat down to complete the lyrics, leaving many tracks without true lyrical intent. In fact, some of the songs contain “words” of gibberish. In a passive listen, you might recognize melodies and certainly utterances of “phrases,” but when you actually pay attention at times, you can’t really make anything out… which is an absurd feeling quite honestly. However, I think it works in its favor. Without words to attach emotion to, much of the emotional work comes from the sounds produced. As previously mentioned, the instrumentation takes on a moodier tonality compared to the debut record, creating a rawer approach. With the vocals, since some of the lyrics are either not at all present or hard to make out, the storytelling lands on the performance rather than the words themselves. His voice sounds more fragile and weary than the previous release, telling a story of anguish through the delivery rather than the lyrical narrative — and I truly think that’s what pushes this album to the next level.
As much as I enjoyed Diary, there is just something special about LP2. From the very first listen, I was immediately hooked to its darker, moodier tone. The more I read about the context surrounding the record and the turmoil taking place during the recording process, the more I fell in love with the sound. The lack of artwork and title really sells the whole thing. It could be declared a lack of artistic drive or desire to work as a band anymore, but I think that only adds to the rawer tendencies of the record. LP2 is my current favorite from Sunny Day Real Estate, and I’m excited to see how the final two albums play out after this one.
9/10Favorite Track: J’Nuh
Least Favorite Track: N/A
Final Thoughts: At one point in the record, I freaked out thinking I had heard one of the songs before and I got excited… only to realize it was “8,” which was on the expanded version of the previous album that I heard yesterday.
Sunny Day Real Estate - How It Feels To Be Something On
I’m starting to feel like a broken record: this album is fantastic. Its soundscape is entirely immersive as the band nearly abandons all grunge/heavy-tinged aspects in favor of the cleaner, softer emo style as the focal point. In many ways, this leads to the overall success of How It Feels To Be Something On. With less grungy angst, the music feels more airy, allowing the smooth basslines and beautiful, reverb-soaked guitars to carry the gorgeous melodies sprinkled throughout the record, immediately present on opener “Pillars.” As the group focuses more on the softer approach, the songwriting takes a leap forward in terms of experimenting with unique scales and tonalities. Without a heavier component to balance the calmer performance, the band looks elsewhere for variety by creating more intricate melodies, like the Middle Eastern-esque tone shared between the vocals and guitars in the verses of “Roses In Water” and the darker, southern-tinted chords of “The Shark’s Own Private F*ck.”
However, the most impressive part of the record is that, even though it doesn’t feature as much distortion or aggression as the previous two releases, there is still so much passion and grit exuding through the performance. The intensely strummed guitars of “100 Million” drive the song along powerfully, the dissonant chords of the final moments of the experimental “The Prophet” are filled with energy, and the explosive choruses of the title track still dip a little into that subtle grunge influence that defined most of their first releases. Unlike Diary that thrived on the contrast between the softer and heavier tonalities, How It Feels To Be Something On takes the energy of the heavier moments and condenses them into segments that seamlessly integrate themselves into the cleaner sections without feeling disjointed. It is a beautiful combination that maintains the tenacity of their debut without sacrificing their more polished and pristine sound.
That final line, however, is also what holds this record back for me. You see, what took me so long to figure out was which album I truly preferred, this one or LP2. I love both of them a lot, but one certainly outweighs the other in my eyes — and that album is LP2. Look, I love How It Feels To Be Something On, and it is an absolutely beautiful record and one that I will certainly be returning to often, especially considering I think “Roses In Water” is their best song (that I’ve heard so far). Additionally, I think this album truly shows the full talent of Enigk with some of his best melodies and vocal performances across the three albums that I’ve heard, especially on “Two Promises.” However, I think the unpolished and “out there” feel of LP2 gives it the edge over this one. I adore the pristine sound on this record, and it amplifies the softer side with its crystal clear tone — yet the grittier, dirtier sound is what made me fall in love with LP2 immediately.
Nonetheless, How It Feels To Be Something On sits right behind LP2 and still stands as probably one of my new favorite records I’ve heard in the genre. I still cannot believe that I hadn’t listened to Sunny Day Real Estate earlier, but I’m glad I’m finally diving in. I can sit here and keep debating and justifying why I like LP2 over this, but that really doesn’t matter: I love both of these albums a lot. Down the road, I could even see this one taking over as my favorite in their discography, that’s how good it is. However, no matter where it sits in their list for me, it still stands as a phenomenal highlight in an impressive career.
9/10Favorite Track: Roses In Water
Least Favorite Track: Every Shining Time You Arrive
Final Thoughts: It has been really awesome to see how their sound has naturally progressed with each album as they refined their style more and more.
Sunny Day Real Estate - The Rising Tide
Let me get this out of the way real quick: Sunny Day Real Estate once again delivers with another great album. I really do enjoy this album, and it has some of my favorite songs throughout their entire discography, and many of the moments here are quite memorable (which I will dig into in a bit). I want to make this clear, because I don’t want my next statement to seem contradictory: The Rising Tide is, all things considered, underwhelming. As an isolated project, this thing absolutely delivers with its catchy progressive rock style that picks up hints of bands like A Perfect Circle mixed with sprawling, ambient pop-rock ballads that soar. It is an enjoyable listen, but it doesn’t hit the mark on what gave Sunny Day Real Estate that edge in the genre.
First, let me give the band their flowers with this album. As I mentioned, a lot of the songs here are some of my favorites of their career. “Killed By An Angel” is a stellar opening track filled with energy that bursts through that captivating intro riff and the contrast of the restrained, reverberated verses with the full, overdriven choruses. The proceeding track, “One,” has my personal favorite Sunny Day Real Estate chorus, with the punchy bass protruding through the chord progression as Jeremy Enigk’s falsetto glides over the instrumentation. The aforementioned A Perfect Circle vibe shines through in “Fool In The Photograph,” with its Middle Eastern influence in the guitar work and vocal melodies and unique production style that elevates this track to the next level. Of course, I would be remiss to not even mention the infectious arena-rock jam “Television” or the atmospheric and vibrant ballad “Faces In Disguise,” both of which sit in the upper half of this record.
If you look at that paragraph again, you’ll see that I mentioned nearly half of the tracklist as some of my favorites in their discography… so where is the disappointment coming from? To be honest with you, it’s hard to put it exactly into words. There isn’t anything fundamentally wrong with The Rising Tide, and there isn’t necessarily anything within the music itself that is disappointing. Rather, it’s an underwhelming record in context of what this band is fully capable of. You see, the previous albums all had their unique touch that made it interesting: Diary had that interesting balance of emo and grunge, LP2 was unpolished and experimental, and How It Feels To Be Something On leaned heavily into that softer emo side with touches of their aggression. I don’t know why, but The Rising Tide feels like it lacks that unique identifier. It blends plenty of styles together, a bit of progressive rock, a touch of that emo-tinge they have, some pop rock elements, and of course that hint of grungier aggression that has characterized a lot of their style throughout the discography. Every song here is packed full of talent as per usual, but they all feel like great songs on just another album — that’s where my disappointment kicks in.
This is in no way meant to sound like The Rising Tide is a bad album, far from it in fact. I definitely see myself coming back to this album again, especially songs like “One” and “Fool In The Photograph.” I found the album growing on me with each listen as I wrote this review, which goes to show the power of Sunny Day Real Estate’s final record. Sure, it might not live up to the same standards of the rest of their discography… but that’s okay. If this is the “worst” a band has to offer, then I’d say it’s a career worth listening to over and over again.
8/10Favorite Track: One
Least Favorite Track: Tearing In My Heart
Final Thoughts: I’m well aware that A Perfect Circle released their debut album a month prior to this one, I just couldn’t think of another band to compare that sound to and it was annoying me.
FINAL SUNNY DAY REAL ESTATE DISCOGRAPHY RANKING:
LP2
How It Feels To Be Something On
Diary
The Rising Tide
My Chemical Romance - Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge
Although The Black Parade was my album introduction to My Chemical Romance, “Helena” was actually my first exposure to the band back in high school. I don’t quite remember how I came across the music video, but it captured me immediately. The music was soaked in melodramatic feelings with a massive guitar driven chorus and intense verses, which perfectly matched the theatrics of the funeral procession acted out within the visuals. It was enthralling to say the least, and I needed more of this band — so of course I checked out The Black Parade instead of the album that “Helena” was off of, because that makes total sense.
Flash forward to senior year of high school / freshman year of college time frame, and I finally gave the full album a shot — I was truly missing out. While I prefer the more theatrical and operatic tone of The Black Parade and many of the songs on that record feature some of my favorites in the genre as a whole, the pure emotion and aggression that encompasses Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge just feels so nostalgic and captivating. On one end, you have the more intense and fierce side of My Chemical Romance, found within tracks like “To the End” and “Thank You for the Venom.” The former leans into a mix of melody and dissonance, with a guitar chord progression that is both jarring and beautiful sounding and sets the tone of the entire track, whereas the latter dives into more post-hardcore-esque riffing and harsher vocal deliveries.
On the other end, you have some of the more softer and melodic pieces the band has to offer, perfectly exemplified by “The Ghost of You.” This reverb-laden track is built upon numerous guitar and bass layers that explode into an octave progression in the chorus that showcases one of Gerard Way’s most emotional vocal deliveries in all of their discography (in my opinion). While this is the most melodic-focused track on Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge, other songs sprinkle in hints of melody and beauty within their structures. The verses of “The Jetset Life is Gonna Kill You” and “Cemetery Drive” are filled with quiet and clean chord passages and hushed vocals, and choruses like “You Know What They Do to Guys Like Us in Prison” and “I’m Not Okay (I Promise)” rely on layered vocal melodies, providing massive sounding moments that deserve a second listen to truly dissect and pick up on everything present.
Honestly, as I sit here listening to this record on repeat typing out these words, I feel like I’ve underrated it over the years. I’ve always gravitated toward The Black Parade more often, but there are truly some gems throughout Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge. Not everything here is perfect, as I think the group missed the mark on the zany tone of “Hang ‘Em High” and that “The Jetset Life Is Gonna Kill You” feels more like a b-side than a mid-tracklist jam. However, I do think I haven’t shown enough appreciation throughout the years. This is truly a phenomenal record that is full of energy and emotion from front to back, and certainly worth your time. Man, this is going to get me back in my emo music kick, isn’t it?
8.5/10Favorite Track: You Know What They Do to Guys Like Us in Prison
Least Favorite Track: Hang ‘Em High
Final Thoughts: I accidentally called the other album “Welcome to the Black Parade” for the entire review, so I had to go back and fix that… yes, I am revealing my humiliating lack of knowledge at times.
Entry 27 // Loathe - I Let It In and It Took Everything
In a really weird way this album is kind of bittersweet, but more sweet as of recent times. This album still stands as one of my favorite metal albums of the decade and is soaked in pure talent and innovation with a lot of genre influences within the music. No matter how many times I listen, the album flows seamlessly from end to end, with many songs rearing their head as a new favorite or a section shining a spotlight on a production element or subtle riff that I hadn’t noticed before. My music taste often shifts throughout the year, yet this is one of those albums I can throw on in any mood regardless of what styles and genres I had been jamming just moments before. That’s what makes it so sweet; but why is it even remotely bitter?
Honestly, the bitter taste doesn’t come about from the album itself. You see, there is absolutely nothing wrong with I Let It In and It Took Everything in my eyes. It perfectly balances the beautiful melodies with the abrasive heavy riffing, sometimes within the same track like “Is It Really You?” or the title track. Rather, the bitterness comes from the context. You see, Loathe hasn’t released another album since this one. “But what about The Things They Believe,” you exclaim. You got me there! Unfortunately, as an instrumental project, the record did nothing more than showcase Loathe’s beautiful production and cinematic influence in their style, something that was displayed far better in the midst of their full band performances like in the atmospheric space of “Two-Way Mirror” and the horrifyingly eerie ambiance of the pre-breakdown in “New Faces in the Dark.” We haven’t seen Loathe at full force in an album since this point in time.
Last year, we were graced with “Gifted Every Strength,” a single that immediately showed that Loathe hadn’t changed one bit. It contained the gritty groove, abrasive and raw harsh vocals mixed with the clean melodies, and grainy effects on the instrumentation that I had come to love on I Let It In and It Took Everything. Additionally, we got a hint of new jazz and dance influence on this track, which further showed that Loathe was ready to take on even more innovation in the genre, similar to what this record embodies. However, we are coming up on nine months since that release, and nothing new to show for it aside from another debut of a live song. So, back to the bitterness we go. I am anxiously awaiting the release of a new melodic and atmospheric masterpiece like “A Sad Cartoon” or a brutally crushing jaw-dropper like “Gored,” and it’s getting harder to wait for it.
I get that this isn’t much of a review of the album itself, but I hope my love for it shines through my words of anticipation. I could go on and on about the beauty of the melodies lodged deep into the black metal-driven songwriting of “Heavy Is the Head…” and how underrated of a track it is, or how impressive it is that Loathe manages to make heavy, unrelenting rippers like “Broken Vision Rhythm” and “Red Room” sound like more than just riff-centric pieces, instead putting a lot of emphasis into the production to create that punishing blow in each hit of the drums and guitars. But more importantly, I want to be able to ramble the same way about a future release. I Let It In and It Took Everything is one of my favorite modern metal albums to listen to, and all I can do is try to patiently wait for the next album and pray that it even holds a light to this one
9.5/10Favorite Track: A Sad Cartoon / Heavy Is The Head…
Least Favorite Track: N/A
Final Thoughts: This was a random rant piece I wanted to write and turn into a review, I have no idea what inspired me to do this but here we are.
Entry 29 // Injury Reserve - By the Time I Get to Phoenix
I was late to the Injury Reserve party. I didn’t listen to By the Time I Get to Phoenix until the very end of 2021 (literally New Year’s Eve if I recall correctly). It was fascinating and absurd, and it sounded like everything that shouldn’t go well together. At the time, I wasn’t big into any form of hip-hop at all, but there was something extremely unique about this that pulled me in. The avant-garde nature of it, with its off-kilter and sporadic beats on tracks like “Superman That” and “Footwork in a Forest Fire,” captivated me instantaneously. It was unsettling, but I wanted more. To contrast that mad-scientist-experimentation style, the melodic inclusions of “Knees” and “Top Picks for You” keep the record grounded, giving moments of respite from the chaos (in the best way) of the surrounding tracklist. However, even with my immediate love for the record, there was so much that I was missing.
Stepa J. Groggs died on June 29, 2020. I was unaware of this for the longest time, and I had no idea By the Time I Get to Phoenix was released a year after his death — and just like that, the entire album took on a new meaning. The absurd experimentation and glitchy production was now interpreted as a cathartic release; the hazy atmosphere engulfing each track was now a characteristic of their grief; the name of the album was now a return home. Even though Groggs had recorded the majority of the album with Injury Reserve prior to his death, the record was viewed in a new light for me. I’m sure many long time fans already felt that way when it was released, but I watched it change before me in real time. I could feel the emotion and the loss. I could feel the pain seeping through Parker Corey’s production and the grief in RiTchie with a T’s performance, even if it wasn’t meant to be seen that way before. The album that was once an avant-garde trip became a beautiful memory.
Now, Parker and RiTchie have set aside the moniker of Injury Reserve in favor of a new name, By Storm, a tribute to the finale of this record, “Bye Storm.” Their new album My Ghosts Go Ghost is what inspired me to return to this album, and it’s just as phenomenal as I remember it. It truly is sad that I was unable to hear Injury Reserve while Groggs was still alive, but thankfully By the Time I Get to Phoenix serves as the eternal reminder of who he was and what he did. Even as the others continue to pursue their career, Groggs will always be remembered through their music.
10/10Favorite Track: Footwork in a Forest Fire
Least Favorite Track: N/A
Final Thoughts: That album cover might be the most perfection representation of an album I have ever seen.
That’s all for this week! I know it’s a long one because I just got the warning that this post is past email length… so congratulations if you made it all the way to this final comment at the end of the post! The grind doesn’t stop here, and we will be back on Sunday with another great week of music reviews, see y’all then!