Diary came during a time when grunge dominated the airwaves but despite the fact Sunny Day Real Estate was based in grunge’s birthplace of Seattle their unique blend of post-hardcore and emo rock was able to cut through the noise (it also didn’t hurt that frontman Jeremy Enigk could channel the hell out of Kurt Cobain’s pained screams like he does on “Song About An Angel”). Emotionally vulnerable as it was sonically powerful, their blend of anguished lyrics, soaring melodies, and dynamic shifts broke new ground in expressing the intensity of human emotion and effectively laid the path for the second wave of emo music to come to fruition. The lo-fi edge and unpolished intensity only added to its authenticity (and in my opinion) helped it retain a staying power that continues to resonate.
The crazy thing about the whole thing is that Sunny Day Real Estate disbanded and reunited about four times in a period of five years (with the final blow coming a mere six years after the release of Diary) and yet their impact on emo and post-hardcore music was seismic. The emotional depth and musical sophistication they introduced became a blueprint for countless bands in the 2000’s, notably some of my all-time favorite acts like Jimmy Eat World and Brand New. While internal tensions and Enigk’s spiritual awakening led to the group’s initial breakup in 1995, their influence continued to grow as Diary gained a cult following. And while the band’s reunion efforts were fleeting, their legacy in the genre remains simply untouchable.
Standout Songs: “Seven”, “Circles”, “Round”, “48”
