Ahh, the almost return of Sunny Day Real Estate.

The 1998-2000 "reunion" of one of my all-time favorite bands included only three of its original members, lacking now-Foo bassist Nate Mendel. The Fire Theft follows the same "three members of SDRE" pattern, save that this time, the missing element is guitarist Dan Hoerner.

So how does it sound? Well, if the one song they've released is any indication, it sounds a lot like latter-day SDRE. And it sounds good.

I'm not really entirely sure what to add. I just really like the song. For more details, head over to their website.

The first part of this record is phenomenal. I can readily find myself listening to the first four songs on repeat, particularly "All My Life" (well, except that it's been blown to hell at radio) and "Times Like These".

But there's a point about half-way through where I feel like I've heard it all before. Initially, I thought it was just the fault of trying to listen to a new CD all the way through on first purchase. (I bought it a couple of hours before leaving town on an extended drive.) But on further listen, I still got the same vibe.

I think part of the problem is the awkward production / mastering. (I can't figure out which is specifically the problem, but I'm leaning toward the latter.) Generally speaking, I often like the distorted compression effect that's been used so often in recent years. Some people hate it, but I think if it's used properly, especially on rock records, it adds power and punch. But here, it's just too much. It makes the songs sound like sludge. And, after a while, all the songs start to sound the same.

Dave Grohl says a lot of the recording was influenced by his working with Queens of the Stone Age on Songs for the Deaf, and I think that's obvious. Particularly given that Songs for the Deaf has the same sludge problem. I still find myself listening to both One by One and Songs for the Deaf on a regular basis, but I wish the songs on both had been allowed to vary sonically.

It's hard to believe, but I bought this record ten years ago this month. And I still spin it on a regular basis.

I first heard "Helpless" on Atlanta's 99x within a couple of weeks of their switch from Top 40 (as Power 99) to Alternative. And I was hooked. By the turn of 1993, this album was in my CD player almost exclusively.

Back in those days, I used to pick a CD to give to my closest friends and family (at least, those who enjoyed "alternative" music), and in 1992, this was the one. (The year before, it was Nirvana's Nevermind.) Granted how little attention it got nationally (save for college radio, where it was one of the most-played albums of the year), I was stunned that most of the people who received this album from me completely fell in love with it.

Sugar was the new project of former Hüsker Dü frontman Bob Mould, who had shifted to more acoustic-based music following that band's demise. Sugar followed the Hüsker Dü musical pattern, but with much, much better production. It had instant mainstream appeal, but the band refused to follow that path, turning down spots on the late night shows to avoid the exposure.

This album had a minor hit with "If I Can't Change Your Mind". However, for me, the gems are songs like the opener "The Act We Act", "Hoover Dam", and the frenetic "Fortune Teller", which ranks near the top of my favorite songs of all time.

If you like Nevermind, you should own this album. No excuses.