Caught in the Carousel

Jeremy Enigk

OK Bear
Red Eye

Jeremy Enigk

With the release of OK Bear, Jeremy Enigk offers us a raw, stripped down album that occasionally gives us those wonderful crescendos that were the hallmark of his earlier releases—Return of the Frog Queen, and World Waits.

Mr. Enigk is often thought of as an Emo-Punk Icon. I won't argue that, given his aforementioned solo offerings or his work as lead singer of Sunny Day Real Estate. However, in an age where too many bands are trying to fit themselves under some sub-genre of punk rock, OK Bear need not apply. I've said it a thousand times and I'll say it again: punk rock is a sense of urgency combined with exploration and introspection that should continually blow up and re-deliver the D.I.Y aesthetic in a way that leaves the masses thinking first and then screaming for more. That doesn't mean it all needs to be that Ramones style "1,2,3,4! - GO!" Or that three-chord guitar/blistering sweaty drum attack. It can be thoughtful, like Television's 1880 or So. It can be sad lyrically but fast-paced musically, as with Hüsker Dü's, "All This I've Done for You." It can be angry like something from Black Flag, or 30-40 seconds worth of something worthwhile from The Minutemen.

Vocally, the raw quality of this album does lend itself to Mr. Enigk's vocal styling and the minimalist musical backing does set a great stage for his fluctuations in and out of falsetto. Lyrically, OK Bear is somewhat poetic, but the songs on this album seem unfinished and I'm left wanting more. Songs like "Make Believe" run the gamut of emotion from A to B and leave me cold. On the other hand, "Life's Too Short" is a great track with a burning and persuasive chorus. Because it comes early in the album, it had me thinking that Mr. Enigk was just getting rolling and that the songs to come were building the same momentum towards those flaming crescendos. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case. Many of you will violently disagree. Over the years, Jeremy Enigk has proven that he is an extremely talented songwriter but OK Bear does not demonstrate that ability.

1/5 OI's
OI

—Peter Hamm