OK Bear Keeps Enigk Moving Forward
Former Sunny Day Real Estate Frontman Delivers an Album That’s Low on Nostalgia and High on Confidence.
Jeremy Enigk
OK Bear
Released on May 12, 2009
Let me start by saying that
Jeremy Enigk’s OK Bear isn’t the nostalgia trip I was expecting
it to be. Long-past my high school “emo” phase, I remember Sunny
Day Real Estate and bands like it with a kind of appreciative dismissiveness,
wistful at the way they soundtracked that particular period in my life
while firmly committed to more “elevated” musical tastes. I remember
listening to SDRE the way I remember listening to Dashboard Confessional
or Alkaline Trio – in an “Aw shucks, wasn’t I adorably earnest
back then”-sort of way. Unfortunately, such dismissive attitudes can
make one forget the talented bands and musicians that drew you into
the music in the first place, to the point where you need a reminder
every now and again that some of these bands were actually very good.
OK Bear is that kind of reminder for me. I first approached Enigk’s second
solo album (the first I’ve listened to since SDRE fell out of my immediate
consciousness) fully expecting to find it cloying in its sincerity,
whiney and grating. Don’t get me wrong, Enigk’s trademark style
remains unshaken: he hasn’t lost any earnestness or sincerity
in his delivery. And in moments his “just-a-touch-shy-of-nasally”
croon can still be somewhat grating on the nerves. But OK Bear is a solid album that is surprisingly measured in the intensity and
emotional weight it unloads on a listener, remaining intimate without
sinking into mopery. OK Bear sounds confident throughout, unfolding
like a road-weary drinking buddy telling you his life story at the bar.
Opener “Mind Idea” begins
the album fiercly, the sharp attacks in the bassline and clean-ringing,
trebly guitars providing a backdrop for Enigk’s oblique lyrical manifesto,
declaring that “Every life loom we’re marching through, / Desire
finds its way home to you”. I’m not sure what it means, bet Enigk
delivers it with a temerity that completes the song’s frustrated tone.
The defiance gives way quickly
to the album’s pervading tone of exhausted defeatedness, as “Late
of Camera” settles into an acceptance of whatever frustration Enigk’s
narration implies. “Dazed in denial, / I’ll be staying there with
a smile”, he laments as guitars and drums crescendo. The alternating
of layered guitar in the A-section versus the delicate synth line in
the B-section seems calculated to create a particular kind of tension
and emotional resonance, building to a final cathartic yelp of “Don’t
say goodbye”, before ending on a note of composed, quiet melancholy.
The bulk of the album continues in this fashion, building emotional tension to a final blast of aggressiveness, only regain composure moments later, returning to low key philosophizing and an acceptance of disappointment. Enigk constructs the album as a kind of internalized narrative battle, one side seeking action, conflict, and a chance at redemption (“Well a little rage with a little hate /Won't be the death of things”); the other tired, defeated, and seeking only to move on (“I will call heaven/ Ever cross the field / In a light it's all that I need to / Move on…/ Everlasting ill reproach / Is it just a state of mind?”)
Of course, the album works best in the moments where these conflicting sides most directly clash with one another. “Same Side Imaginary” and “Just a State of Mind” are highlights because of the way each yearns for resolution while being preoccupied with resentment and frustration. And “In a Look” is a textbook example of what “emo” music initially did well, beginning with a minimalistic approach and an aura of quiet regret, then gradually building tension until resentment, betrayal, and regret boil over – “Don't tell me / You changed your mind / Sear your eyes in the northern wind / I've a magic world in a look of eyes.”
Ultimately, OK Bear is an interesting look at what happens to “emo” as it grows up. It’s a very intelligently assembled album, and Enigk does a good job of avoiding the many pitfalls that could befall an artist trying to move beyond the notoriety of previous endeavors. He doesn’t try to do too much with OK Bear, and if the result isn’t particularly awe-inspiring, it is still an immediately likable record with plenty of subtle pleasures to uncover on repeated listens. It’s an album that makes me wonder if Enigk doesn’t belong in the same breath as Trent Reznor, in the way that both were charismatic because of their intense sincerity, noteworthy because of their obvious talent, and retrospectively underrated because of all the terrible music they directly influenced. Whatever the case, OK Bear stands up well enough on its own, not needing to lean on the listener’s history with its creator in order to be a rewarding find.
High Point
The album’s strongest selling point is its cohesiveness, fitting together seamlessly and with very compact song structures. Every sound on the album has a purpose to serve, which is refreshing.
Low Point
This is the kind of record that you’ll remember fondly, but won’t have a favorite song from. Though admirably consistent, OK Bear suffers from a lack of “wow” moments.
Posted by David Sitrick on Sep 03, 2009 @ 6:30 am
