Read First Before Buy OK Bear Jeremy Enigk
1. Mind Idea- 9/10
2. Late of Camera- 8.5/10
3. April Storm- 7.5/10
4. Life's Too Short- 9/10
5. Just a State of Mind- 8/10
6. Sandwich Time- 9/10
7. In a Look- 8/10
8. Same Side Imaginary- 7.5/10
9. Restart- 7.5/10
10. Make Believe- 9/10
11. Vale OSO- 8.5/10
12. Saint Feliu De Guixols- 9/10
No matter what Jeremy Enigk does he will forever be linked to Emo legends Sunny Day Real Estate (SDRE), and rightfully so. His hauntingly emotional voice helped carry the band to the top of the independent music scene. SDRE broke up over disputed circumstances, some say over Jeremy finding God (although the band denies this), and some say over musical reasons. They reformed with 3/4th of the original lineup and although their sound and Jeremy's voice had changed they still put out great music. They broke up again and formed The Fire Theft, which did not live up to expectations, and Jeremy went back to writing his solo material. Unfortunately everyone likes to knock Jeremy Enigk's solo material, because it's not Sunny Day Real Estate. The truth is it's pretty good. I have heard all of his solo material, but Return of the Frog Queen (which was released between SDRE stints) and OK Bear (the album I am currently reviewing) are the ones I am most familiar with.
OK Bear sounds like a mix of SDRE's How It Feels to be Something On, his first solo album Return of the Frog Queen, and a dash of the Rising Tide. The vocal and musical arrangements are very similar to How It Feels to be Something On. You can hear on OK Bear that Jeremy is really embracing his SDRE days (This should have foreshadowed the reunion of Sunny Day Real Estate). OK Bear is a little more pop oriented than SDRE. Along with the obvious SDRE influence Jeremy Enigk mixes in the influences he draws from other great bands: The Beatles, Cat Stevens, Electric Light Orchestra, Simon and Garfunkel, Neil Young, and Nick Drake. On OK Bear Jeremy seems to be very comfortable with his song writing. The album is very fluid and songs flow into each other very nicely. I know everyone wants Jeremy's solo stuff to be SDRE, but if you can get past that and take OK Bear for what it is you will find it quite rewarding.
The Song by Song rating is 84%. However with the maturity of the song writing, the ability of Jeremy to meld different styles of music together, and the great flow of the album I would give the overall rating a 90%
Similar Artists/Influences- Sunny Day Real Estate, The Fire Theft, Band of Horses, The Beatles, Badly Drawn Boy, Nick Drake, Cat Stevens, Elliott, The Shins, Mock Orange (later stuff)
BalasHapusWell this CD is much different from his prior efforts. I like everything he has touched, the mellow and the rock. This CD has a little of both. I was first amazed to have some rockin tunes again, but the mellow ones really stand out after multiple listens. I think this CD is also much more uplifting and a great summer CD to drive with your windows down to. If you liked anything from his history in music you should find something in this album for you.
BalasHapusJeremy Enigk
BalasHapusOK Bear; 2009
Lewis Hollow Recordings
My Rating: 86/100
Void of pretense, full of wonder...
OK BEAR is quite possibly the most sincere record you will hear the indie side of CCM. It is also proof positive that Jeremy Enigk is a songwriter that we can expect great things from for years to come. Enigk is one of only a few artists to transcend the hyper-hipsterism and slacker-than-thou mentality of the indie scene and deliver fantastic music that is entirely void of pretense and cynicism and completely brimming with joy and wonder. In fact, OK BEAR might just be Enigk's purest statement of his own artistic vision. Apparently taking its overarching theme from the tension between child-like wonder and adultist realism, the twelve tracks herein, like the kid on the cover, serve as guardians for a "magic world" that Enigk's imagination seems to inhabit. Stylistically, Enigk continues to play to his strongest suits, with the classic Sunny Day Real Estate track "Guitar and Video Games" being the obvious touchstone for the album's sound. This is a truly inspiring record. In a world where EMO tends to be a bad word representing an overwrought obsession with self, Enigk takes the trappings of the genre he helped define and rather uses it to elevate the listener. I can't wait to see what's next, and I hope I can catch him live at some point.
Cohesion (5/5)
Concept (5/5)
Consequence (4/5)
Consistency (4.5/5)
Tracks:
1. Mind Idea (5/5)
2. Late of Camera (5/5)
3. April Storm (5/5)
4. Life's Too Short (4/5)
5. Just a State of Mind (4/5)
6. In a Look (5/5)
7. Sandwich Time (3.5/5)
8. Same Side Imaginary (5/5)
9. Restart (5/5)
10. Make Believe (4/5)
11. Vale Oso (5/5)
12. Snt Feliu de Guixols (5/5)