Enigk's old sounds linger on new solo album

Enigk's lyrics and signature sound carries World Waits.

By Joey Vergara

Published Oct. 24, 2006

Much has changed in music since the last time Jeremy Enigk released a solo album, but he remains attached to some of his old tricks on his latest release, World Waits. This makes for a record that plays like a great addition to the Enigk library at times and a dated effort at others.

After Enigk's 1996 solo debut, Return of the Frog Queen, came the reunion of Enigk's widely influential band Sunny Day Real Estate and later the inception of The Fire Theft in the new millennium with two members of Sunny Day.

Enigk is now once again ready to take on the music scene on his own with World Waits.

As welcome as new Enigk material might be, this indie legend seems incapable of escaping from his somber songwriting on World Waits. Each track contains a similar weightiness and darkness found throughout most of his entire career catalogue.

After the appropriately titled instrumental intro, "A New Beginning," World Waits moves into "Been Here Before," one of Enigk's prettiest tracks yet. World Waits might not go very far in terms of broadening his musical landscapes as a whole, but this track, reminiscent of The Fire Theft's stunning "Heaven," exemplifies Enigk's ingenuity with lush melodies, a mid-song organ break and introspective lyrics.

Taken as a whole, World Waits follows the Enigk formula pretty well. The best moments lie where Enigk does manage to break from his habits. These small details reveal his ability to transform a simple song into a great experience.

The dreamy "Cannons" shines with a great acoustic guitar break and strange, layered vocals.

Other experiments don't fare so well. "City Tonight," an anthem calling for independence and love, slows down the album with silly lyrics ("Am I late to the kingdom of love?") and strange, pointless electronic pulses in the background. This song is too similar to new-school U2 to be taken seriously.

World Waits reaches its most touching point on "Dare a Smile," as Enigk employs a classic string section to back this primarily bare number. This is a much different side of Enigk than seen before. His gruffness is stripped away to reveal a much more poignant artist.

In the past, Enigk's vocals have by far stood out as the best part of his records; it's no different here. Enigk's signature voice almost single-handedly carries World Waits. On "Damien Dreams" he alternates between belting it out with the harshness of his Sunny Day youth and humming a peaceful melody. On "Wayward Love" he takes a more melodic and at times goofy route with falsetto backing vocals and sprightly guitar lines.

Enigk pulls out all stops on the album's epic closing track, "Burn." As Enigk sings his born-again Christian lyrics, a dramatic string section replaces the ususal piano.

World Waits offers Enigk a chance to show off his abilities as an individualistic songwriter. It's not so much an exact copy of his previous work, nor a perfect album, but a strong effort to realize his true self as a musician.

Artist: Jeremy Enigk
Album: World Waits
Genre: Indie Rock
Record Label: Reincarnate Records
Release Date: Oct. 16
Most Listenworthy Track: 'Been Here Before'
Reviewer's Rating: 3 out of 5Ms