| by Kelly Durkin | 2/19/07 | 140 views |
If Henry David Thoreau resurrected himself in the 21st Century, he’d take the form of Jeremy Enigk.
Not only did the acclaimed writer suggest that “If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer,” but he also emerged from solitude to produce his greatest work. Similarly, the reclusive Enigk emerged with one of the most cohesive albums in recent memory a decade after releasing his first solo album.
The aptly titled “World Waits,” is a true departure from Enigk’s previous works with early 90’s rockers Sunny Day Real Estate, highlighting his remarkable vocal abilities dampened by the band’s aggressive guitar sound. The album draws a combination of musical elements from his first solo effort, “Return of the Frog Queen,” as well as his most recent collaborative work with The Fire Theft. His overall style is unique; combine the cryptic lyrics of Tori Amos with the power of Freddie Mercury’s voice, and add a dash of J.D. Salinger’s reclusion, and you have the recipe for a freshly baked Jeremy Enigk.
Since his first solo effort, Enigk’s song structure has followed a protocol: begin with a quiet verse and accompaniment, add a short instrumental bridge, and repeat the verse with higher vocals and a fuller harmony. An entire album exhausts the formula, yet each song redeems its lack of creative arrangement with Enigk’s emotionally fueled vocals. Two pertinent examples from “World Waits,” include “Damien Dreams” and “Been Here Before.” In both songs, the repeated verse brims with passion and sincerity, accented by Enigk’s unwavering delivery of upper register notes.
On his latest album, Enigk takes an instrumentally minimalist approach, using acoustic guitars, drums, and the occasional piano on most of the record instead of the 21-piece orchestra accompaniment on his debut solo album. The use of fewer instruments strike a melodic balance with Enigk’s commanding vocals; the intense string arrangements in combination with Enigk’s voice on “Return of the Frog Queen,” are rich, yet almost overwhelming to the ear.
The album’s first song, a sweeping instrumental entitled “A New Beginning,” sets a high standard for the album, to which most of the songs adhere , yet “Been Here Before,” “Cannons,” and “Damien Dreams” are the standout tracks on the album. All three songs achieve a solid balance of secondary harmony and lyrical creativity under Enigk’s voice, soaring above the accompanying parts with power akin to a jet turbofan. These three elements work together to mimic the power and unity of the record’s opening track.
Only one song seems out of place in the album. “City Tonight,” a dark, synthesizer-loaded song departs from the record’s mostly acoustic theme, containing sub-par lyrics and an unimpressive vocal track. Enigk sings of a “kingdom of love,” throwing out lyrical clichés and drawing his singing inspiration from a coffee grinder filled with gravel. The effort to shift away from the aural theme is duly noted, yet this song’s variation breaks from the album’s ranks and drags the momentum of the proceeding songs with it. The caliber of the rest of the album makes this mistake forgivable; instead of minor flaws in each song, there is one that accumulates them all into an easily avoidable track.
In perspective, these criticisms are minor. This is an excellent album; a thorough experience in today’s musical age. It took Jeremy Enigk a decade of transcending through his vocal range with literate ease to complete his new record and the result is certainly worth the wait.
     
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University of Delaware
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