THE FIRE THEFT “S/T”
I’ll admit that I jumped aboard the SUNNY DAY REAL ESTATE bandwagon. I thought that “Diary” was an amazing release bordering on monumental status. Even “How It Feels to be Something On” was a great album. Then, I heard “The Rising Tide”, and jumped ship as soon as possible. It was a bad, no, terrible release that should have never seen the light of day but instead gone down in history as one of those albums that only a fateful few will boast to of heard. It should have been a near myth (see GUNS N’ ROSES – “Chinese Democracy”). Unfortunately, “The Rising Tide” did make its way out of the lab where it was concocted and revealed the new direction that SUNNY DAY was heading in, and I didn’t like it. When rumors of a new project by Jeremy Enigk popped up, I could only pray that it would be a million miles away from “The Rising Tide”. Instead, the self-titled debut by THE FIRE THEFT is everything that “The Rising Tide” should have been. In truth, THE FIRE THEFT isn’t a far cry from SUNNY DAY REAL ESTATE. Most of the old members are reunited minus guitarist Dan Hoerner. “The Fire Theft” is an atmospheric album, less driving than “Diary” but less boring than “The Rising Tide”. The songs flow well, creating a sorrowful ambiance while still giving each track a unique personality. Enigk’s lyrics border on cheesy at times (“I drown in a world of pity and sorry”), but it’s the tone of his voice that makes him a worthwhile singer, at times reminding me of a depressed Thom Yorke. The album manages to branch out in many different directions without alienating a consistent mood. “Summertime” and “Heaven”, for example, have a slight 80’s new wave influence. “Sinatra” might be the higlight of the album, showing the full range of the band. Despite all the great qualities of the album, there are as many shortcomings. The mood created by the album is aimed at invoking some emotion and takes the right mindset to be able to listen to throughout. At times, the album can grow a little tiring. “The Fire Theft” could have been a lot better, but it could have been a lot worse too. All in all, Enigk and company have cranked out a mediocre album that is a vast improvement on the last album by SUNNY DAY REAL ESTATE, but won’t make me forget “Diary” anytime soon.
Ryko
