Sunny Day Real Estate

Item: The Rising Tide
Author: Michial Farmer

The Rising Tide

(2000)

Reviewed by Michial Farmer

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Label Time Bomb RecordingsThe Phantom Tollbooth2000

alternative rock emo indie rock

I absolutely hated this record the first time I listened to it, and from the looks of the reviews, quite a few other critics did as well. I was prepared, however, as a friend told me I wouldn't like The Rising Tide the first few times I listened to it, and, proving him right, the album definitely has grown on me.

The Rising Tide opens with the ferocious "Killed By an Angel," in which lead singer Jeremy Enigk sneers out lines like "Welcome to the lonesome world of Abel / Where every brother's knife is set to slay you / And paranoia keeps you healthy," and "It's never how you feel / It comes in a bottle." Right from the beginning, The Rising Tide is much harder in edge than 1998's How It Feels to Be Something On. First single "One" reinforces this, with both Enigk and second guitarist Dan Hoerner flailing away at their power chords and drummer William Goldsmith pounding his drums like his life depended on it.

However, the third song, "Rain Song," blows any thought that The Rising Tide is going to be solely a loud record out of the proverbial water with finger-picked guitars, a string section, and (gasp) no drum kit. "It's candy," Enigk sighs, and though we really don't have any idea what he means, we believe him because he sounds so sincere.

"The Ocean" is another soft song, and probably the album's highlight, although the fast-paced and ridiculously melodic "Snibe" comes close to taking that title from it. "Fool in the Photograph" borrows the Middle Eastern sound so prevalent on How It Feels, while "Television" may be the poppiest thing the band has ever put together.

There are a couple of throwaway tracks ("Disappear," "Tearing In My Heart"), but all in all, Sunny Day Real Estate have come close to crafting a classic with The Rising Tide. If, as so many critics have pointed out over the years, they are post-emo's version of U2, and How It Feels to Be Something On was their Achtung Baby, then perhaps The Rising Tide is their answer to Zooropa: it may take a little more digging to find satisfaction in it, but make no mistake, it's there.

4 tocks