Second Stage: OK Bear

by Robin Hilton

Download "Sant Feliu De Guixols (right-click or control-click and save to your computer)

Jeremy Enigk has been making smart, inspired pop for more than 15 years, first emerging as the frontman for the Seattle-based band Sunny Day Real Estate. Though the group never formally broke up, it's at least been dormant, while Enigk has resurfaced again with his third solo album, the whimsically titled OK Bear.

Enigk has an incredible voice, one filled with sorrow and beauty. A lot of the tracks on OK Bear soar majestically, if only for the passion in his vocals. Enigk recorded the album in Barcelona with a group of musicians introduced by a mutual friend. He says the band managed to turn most of the songs on OK Bear into heavier rock numbers, even if they were intended to be more restrained. Percussionist Victor Garcia, in particular, does a fantastic job of driving and pushing the mix on drums, with some tastefully unpredictable rhythms.

All that said, this is one of the album's more wistful moments. It's the closing track, called "Sant Feliu de Guixols."

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4:54 PM ET | 06-30-2009 | permalink

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